i 



Scanned from the collections of 
The Library of Congress 



AU DIOV1SU AL CONSERVATION 
at Th? LIBRARY if CONGRESS 



Ml 



--TP* 




■ 



Packard Campus 
for Audio Visual Conservation 
www.loc.gov/avconservation 

Motion Picture and Television Reading Room 
www.loc.gov/rr/mopic 

Recorded Sound Reference Center 
www . I oc . g o v/rr/record 




Founder of the Motion Picture 



MOTION PICTURE 
THEATER MANAGEMENT 

BY 

HAROLD B. FRANKLIN 

PRESIDENT OF THE WEST COAST THEATRES, INC. 




NEW YORK 
GEORGE H. DORAN COMPANY 



COPYRIGHT, 1927, 
BY GEORGE H. DORAN COMPANY 



JAN 21 1328 



MOTION PICTURE THEATER MANAGEMENT 
— RE- 
PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA 



©CU1018482 



PREFACE 



HE first book in a new field will attract a variety of 



readers. In the domain of the motion picture industry, 



no writer has hitherto attempted a complete presenta- 
tion of the special matter of operation. This volume there- 
fore is planned to reach the widest possible audience by con- 
sidering one group of facts from a composite point of view. 
The general public will find the style direct and untechnical. 
Business men in non-related walks of commerce will be served 
by the economy of statement. For to those who intend to 
enter the profession, there is a wealth of detail clarified by a 
strict organization. Teachers of the new courses that are 
being held in universities and technical schools are hereby 
offered a text for assignment or reference. Theater managers 
may profit, surely, by reading in fixed print the summary of 
their own experiences and other people's ideas. There is a 
wealth of exhibits and illustrations which make the theme con- 
crete and which should appeal to all. 

When I speak of the motion picture as something new, I 
am not unmindful of the fact that it has already had a his- 
tory of one generation. In thirty years thousands of ven- 
tures have had ample time to accumulate and exchange a vast 
fund of knowledge. The brevity of time has been matched 
by the strides of progress. In other words, we have arrived 
at a definite stage in our work. Looking backward, we dis- 
cern certain unmistakable classifications, in various directions. 
No one has yet gathered these into one group under one cover. 
Hence this book. 

The general public has evinced so close an interest in the 
production of photoplays, that I dare hope they will wish to 
learn more concerning the theaters they attend. As every one 
knows, the cinema is in existence and is still very much grow- 
ing. I feel sure that those who have been patrons will be 
curious enough to spend a few hours acquiring a fuller notion 




V 



vi 



PREFACE 



of how their enjoyable evenings are planned and achieved. 
Operators have often featured such information in their house 
publicity ; and I for one am confident that the theater has noth- 
ing to lose and much to gain from audiences that know the 
trend of things and appreciate new and improved methods. 

Leaders of other industries, knowing well that the basis 
of commerce is everywhere the same, will nevertheless have 
an opportunity to see how the superstructure has evolved in 
the new line that has prospered so swiftly. The advance of 
the film has profited by examples taken from older enterprises. 
Perhaps the favor can now be returned. 

The group I address mainly, of course, is the legion of those 
young men who will shortly be in charge of our houses. They 
may be individual entrepreneurs about to join the ranks. They 
may be promoted employees, risen from the ranks. They may 
be undergoing preparatory training in such institutions as 
Columbia University, or the Publix Theatres Managers' 
School. Even younger, they may be no more than wishful of 
the day when they shall achieve managerial status. Whoever 
or whatever they may be, I have for them this word of cau- 
tion : A book like the present one is no mere collection of 
words. The thoughts presented herein are the fruits of a 
very real tree. There are roots of reality behind what I say 
— roots that go down deep into business, art, and life itself. 
A great many men have devoted their youth and maturity to 
the establishment of the facts that crowd these pages. Most 
of those men groped and struggled long and hard before they 
were able to grasp this or that principle. Many of them 
never did learn, never survived. Their successes — and their 
failures, too ! — have made possible the lessons they turn over 
to successors; but the process of learning still needs time and 
effort. You wouldn't expect to learn to play the violin just 
from reading a book through once. You won't be a manager 
on the same basis, either. But musical lore has shortened and 
simplified the violinist's path. Undoubtedly, theory can pave 
the way to practice in the motion picture business as in others. 

Although this book deals with a subject that has its touch 
of romance, it should not be galloped through, like a novel. 



PREFACE 



vii 



Absorb, while you read. Take time to reflect upon what is 
said. Whenever you can, study the elements of an actual 
theater, and make comparison with the statements the book 
offers. Use your head, not to memorize, but to comprehend ; 
and do not lose sight of the fact that the best information is 
valuable only when put to use by sound, earnest initiative. 

Teachers of such young men as I have just addressed will 
find the text helpful, unless I am mistaken, in several ways. 
As a recitation groundwork, it will serve to save time enor- 
mously in respect to gathering material and organizing lec- 
tures. There are thirty-four chapters in all The individual 
instructor has therefore a mathematical principle for divi- 
sion of time in his course. The matter of emphasis, unless 
dictated by special circumstances, should be constant, for no 
one can tell which phase of the work will be most needed by 
the student later. The grouping by parts provides occasion for 
reviews and quizzes. 

Lecturers in courses concerning the industry, but not di- 
rectly dealing with operation, may employ the text for refer- 
ence, or for reports by part or on specific chapters. Thus 
there may be secured for a class in stage presentation, for 
example, an interesting side-light on the place of production 
in the organization. I believe, too, that the book may be used 
with some profit in connection with studies relating to com- 
merce, advertising, journalism, or the allied field of theatricals. 

To the executive already in the harness I offer the greet- 
ings of a colleague who has seen the growth and workings of 
operations small and large. What he already knows, he may 
perhaps find here ordered and clarified. Since I myself have 
often learned from others, I have hope that he will find some 
new things in what I say. And should he occasionally, or 
even frequently, find it necessary to disagree — why, what is 
better than the opportunity to discuss a life-work with another 
who has made the same career his ? 

By way of conclusion, I have the following to say : What- 
ever else this book may be, it is no flight of fancy. The 
statements it contains are based on sober and, I believe, veri- 
fiable fact. I did not enter the business as a writer but as 



viii 



PREFACE 



an executive ; and an executive I still remain. If I have waxed 
enthusiastic here or there, it is because, where operation is 
concerned, I am and always shall be an enthusiast. Part of 
the showman's creed — the heart of it — is a love of the pro- 
fession. 

Finally, permit me to render a brief but heartfelt tribute to 
one whom I respect and admire for his contribution to the 
industry — Adolph Zukor. Through all the conflicts that arose 
in the building of a new industry, he stuck to his convictions 
and made himself a leader and a guide. My associations with 
him have been such as arouse a deep sense of appreciation. 

May my own words help others in some measure. 



H. B. F. 



CONTENTS 

PAGE 

Preface ......... . v 

PART I: Introductory 

CHAPTER 

I. The Object of the Book ....... 15 

II. The Industry and the Theater . . . . . 21 

PART II: Management and Organization 

III. Management and the Public . ? . . . -37 

IV. Departments and Functions . . . . . .45 

V. Personnel and Inspections . . . . . 52 

VI. Safety 61 
VII. House Management ....... 67 

VIII. Training for Management . . . . -. , 77 ■ 

PART III: Plant and Structure 

IX. The Building and Its Construction . . ? s - 87 
X. Structural Equipment ....... 96 

XI. Fire Apparatus and Water Supply . > -. . .104 

PART IV: Personnel 

XII. The Function of Personnel . . , . . .119 

XIII. The Service Staff . s s f . , .124 

XIV. The Production Staff s . , , . , .139 
XV. Plant and Housekeeping . ... . . -. .153 

XVI. Auditing and Accounting Personnel . . . .164 

XVII. Conferences . . s , , ._ . .168 

XVIII. Employment . . . . . ■ , . . .176 

ix 



X 



CONTENTS 



PART V: Finance 

CHAPTEB PAGE 

XIX. Financing the Motion Picture Industry . . . . 185 

XX. Budgets . .192 

XXI. Methods of Accounting Control 200 

XXII. Purchasing and Inventory . . . . . .213 

XXIII. Insurance . . . . . . .... 223 

PART VI: Auxiliary and Contributive Elements 

XXIV. Expert Advice . . . . : ; , -237 
XXV. Advertising 24.2 

XXVI. The Show Window of the Theater s 6 .. .258 

XXVII. Color and Lighting 268 

XXVIII. Music ....... ; . 278 

XXIX. Special Films: Short Subjects; Road Shows . . . 288 

XXX. Stage Presentations 296 

XXXI. Refrigeration Systems and Other Mechanical Aids . 304 

XXXII. Law Pertaining to Theaters 317 

XXXIII. The Public: Good Will and Ethics . . .325 

PART VII: Conclusion 

XXXIV. The Paramount Theatre and Building . . . -333 
XXXV. Review and Forecast 345 

Index .......... 361 



ILLUSTRATIONS 



Thomas A. Edison Frontispiece 

FIGURE PAGE 

1. Theater Organization Chart ...... 47 

2. Inspection Report ........ $6 

3. Fire and Safety Report . . . . . . .62 

4. Box Office Statement . . s . . . . 72 

5. Time Schedule 75 

6. Remote Control Switchboard . . . . . . 80 

7. Stage Lighting Plan ........ 99 

8. Service Staff Report , . , . . . . .125 

9. Uniformed Staff . . . . , . . . .128 

10. Lost and Found Forms . . . . . . .131 

11. Service Employees . . . 136 

12. Layout of Projection Room . . . -. . ,141 

13. Projection Room Weekly Report ■„ . . . .143 

14. Special News Weekly Trailer . . . . : .144 

15. Booth Shutter Arrangement . -. . . . .146 

16. Music Cue Sheet . . . 148 

17. Weekly Statement 208 

18. Graphic Chart, California Theatre . . . .211 

19. Inventory Record . . . , , . . .217 

20. Purchase Order . . . . , . . . .219 

21. Requisition from Store Room . . . . . .221 

22. Specimen Balaban & Katz Institutional Advertising . 245 

23. Specimen West Coast Institutional Advertising . . 246 

24. Exploitation Lobby 253 

25. Newspaper Ads on "The Covered Wagon" . . . 254 

26. Ziegfeld Theatre . . . . . . . .264 

xi 



xii ILLUSTRATIONS 

FIGURE PAGE 

27. Paramount, Grauman's Chinese and Uptown Theatres . 264 

28. Specimen Posters ......... 264 

29. Profile Poster , . . . . ... 264 

30. Decorative Lobby "The Ten Commandments" . .265 

31. Roxy Theatre Lobby . .265 

32. Lobby, Uptown Theatre, Chicago . . . . .265 

33. A. Seat Indicator . . . . . : . . . , 265 
B. Usher Signal System 266 

34. Auditorium, Paramount Theatre . . . , .336 

35. Fox Case Movietone . . f . . . . .350 

36. Television . . . . -.- . . . . 354 



Part I 
Introductory 



CHAPTER I 



The Object of the Book 

THEATERS, and particularly motion picture theaters, 
are to-day an important part of community life 
throughout our country. In many instances they are 
housed in the finest public buildings of the individual town or 
city. They represent investments ranging from one hundred 
thousand dollars in a small town to as much as three and four 
million dollars in one of the greater centers of population. 
The modern motion picture theater, a marvel of comfort and 
luxury, seats as many as six thousand persons. From some 
nine thousand theaters in 1910, the number increased to twenty 
thousand in 1925, with a total seating capacity of almost 
eighteen million, and an estimated average weekly attendance 
of one hundred million. In New York, the Paramount The- 
atre and Building embodies an investment in land and struc- 
ture of nearly eighteen million dollars. This, of course, is the 
exceptional instance, because the outstanding one. It is sig- 
nificant as representing a peak, a climax in the history of 
operation. 

The tremendous capital invested in motion picture theaters 
throughout the country is an indication of the sound founda- 
tion on which the motion picture theater rests. In one sense, 
the motion picture is an industry. From that point of view 
it is not merely national in scope, but even ranks with the 
preeminent industries, being in fact fourth in importance. 
Furthermore, it is a business as soundly stabilized as it is ex- 
tensive and notable. When a single theater brings a gross 
revenue of two millions and more a year — and there are now 
many such theaters — it has reached a position second to that 
of no single interest in the commercial world. Indeed, the 
progress of the industry is one of the romances of American 
initiative. Born in 1896, and founded on the basic patents of 

15 



16 MOTION PICTURE THEATER MANAGEMENT 



Thomas A. Edison, it has leaped to the forefront of national 
economic and social life in the brief span of a single genera- 
tion. What a long jump from the crude "store" show to 
such palatial operation as exemplified by the Paramount and 
Roxy theaters in New York ! 

The reason for the miraculous growth is the fulfillment of a 
universal, deep seated, public need. It is a simple fact of 
every day experience that the new institution is typically and 
essentially democratic, enjoying, in every quarter of the globe, 
the patronage of millions of people of all ages and interests, 
from every walk of life. It is not uncommon to see a Ford 
and a Rolls-Royce discharge their occupants, at the same time, 
before the box office. "The Covered Wagon" and "The Big 
Parade," acclaimed by the most exacting public of the great 
metropolis, stir equally the hearts of people in the most re- 
mote townships. For the motion picture theater has taken 
its place alongside the church and the schoolliouse. In the 
words of Cardinal Dubois, one of the most influential religious 
leaders of Paris: "The cinema will become a great and beau- 
tiful thing. The faith which I place in it to-day is quite justi- 
fied, and I remain convinced that to-morrow it will even sur- 
pass our hopes, that it will truly be the grand silent voice of 
the day, and that through it the world will be a better place." 
People have found that it is just as important to laugh, and to 
be diverted generally, as to be good and learned, that enjoy- 
ment is as truly a part of life as morality and knowledge. 

The motion picture does not pretend to be an educational 
institution, although motion pictures in themselves have made 
and will make themselves felt as factors in education. It is 
the function of the motion picture theater to furnish clean, 
wholesome entertainment; and those responsible for produc- 
tion recognize the fact that pictures must be wholesome if they 
are to continue to prosper, because the overwhelming majority 
of the people will not long accept anything that is not of 
high standard. The result is that pictures are not merely ac- 
ceptable, but that many of them are inspirational and elevat- 
ing. Those like D. W. Griffith's "The Birth of a Nation," 
Paramount's "The Covered Wagon," Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's 



THE OBJECT OF THE BOOK 



IT 



"The Big Parade" speak with a voice that is truly the voice 
of a great country and appeal with equal success in Europe 
and in the United States. William Fox's production, "Seventh 
Heaven," and First National's "The Patent Leather Kid" 
are other offerings of the same splendid character. Such 
productions not only entertain, but stimulate all that is finest 
and best in human character, and are thus comparable with 
the loftiest in literature. In comparison, moreover, with the 
drama of the stage, the drama of the screen has infinitely 
greater flexibility and range. It is not limited to the artificial 
devices of the theater. It literally has the whole world for its 
stage. It actually speaks a universal language. It takes people 
all around the world; into the laboratories of science, into 
botanical gardens, into the White House, down into the bowels 
of the earth and the secrets of the ocean. Recently the New 
York World said: "From Singapore to Savannah the screen 
has become one of the greatest agencies in the diversion and 
instruction of mankind." 

These references to the progress and the merits of motion 
pictures are made only to emphasize the hold of the theater 
that exhibits them among the people everywhere. To-day 
such theaters are in simple fact the only places of entertain- 
ment to large and increasing numbers. Since that is the case, 
their proper operation is of vital importance. It is important, 
as we have seen, economically. The newspapers and the light- 
ing companies are but two of the many local contributive 
enterprises. Nationally, over two hundred thousand miles 
of film are utilized each year. More than five million pounds 
of cotton and one hundred sixty tons of silver bullion con- 
tribute to this single output. An institution that employs from 
twenty to two hundred persons in each theater, and that draws 
its equipment from business houses of numerous and varied 
interests, requires administration second in importance to none. 

Theater operation has consequently come to be recognized 
as a profession of exceptional merit and usefulness, and a 
high type of young man is being attracted to the ranks. In 
addition, the industry itself is aware of new needs and stand- 
ards, so that an effort is being made to provide the recruits 



18 MOTION PICTURE THEATER MANAGEMENT 



with the fundamental theory and practice of the procedure 
involved in management. To this end, Publix Theatres, Inc., 
which is an important motion picture theater circuit, conducts 
a school whose specific purpose is to teach the essentials of 
theater management. As has been indicated, the principal 
reasons for the step are : the increasing importance of motion 
picture theaters everywhere, the large investment represented, 
the great number of theaters now in operation, the thousands 
of persons whose livelihood depends on the industry, and the 
important relationship of the theater to the public. 

For the same reasons, and with the same end in view, this 
book will endeavor to present an analysis and exposition of the 
details of theater management — functions and procedure — 
based on practical experience. It is not intended to tell any one 
how to operate theaters successfully. Success in the field can 
be acquired only by practical experience and by those qualities 
which make for success anywhere and at any time. The aim 
of the text is rather to give necessary information drawn from 
reality, to marshal a vast array of miscellaneous fact in orderly 
form. In this way, the book may be of genuine guidance and 
of economical instruction to the right sort of candidate for 
managerial status. It is hoped, likewise, that executives at 
present in charge of individual theaters may find in these pages 
the clarification of this or that problem arising out of the nature 
of their work. Yet the writer cannot too emphatically repeat 
that success is based on level-headed capacity. Modern the- 
aters, large or small, cannot be run on chance or guesswork. 
What this book has to give, together with the contributions of 
experts in various divisions, must be combined with acute per- 
sonal intelligence. 

In order to facilitate the most efficient presentation of the 
subject, the present text has been so ordered as to group the 
problems for convenient reference, without diminishing the 
emphasis on the prime consideration of management. Accord- 
ingly, the chapters are gathered into Parts, as follows : Part I 
is a bird's-eye view of the entire industry as an introduction to 
the place of the theater. Part II goes directly to general 
phases of management, in its relations with public, employ- 



THE OBJECT OF THE BOOK 



19 



ers and employees, especially in connection with house direc- 
tion, safety, and training. Part III is concerned with the phy- 
sical building — construction, equipment, inspection, and main- 
tenance. Part IV describes in detail the varieties of personnel 
and the manager's function in inspections, conferences and 
employment. Part V has to do with the fundamental problems 
of finance in budget making and control, and in purchase, stock, 
and insurance. Part VI considers the manager's relations with 
his advisors — the musician, the publicity man, the lawyer, and 
others. Part VII rounds out the picture in a summary of the 
past and some conjectures as to the future. In every division, 
of course, the details are viewed from the angle of the central 
consideration — the manager. 

The methods and principles described herein are naturally 
not in use in any one theater. They are rather composite ; that 
is, they are based on the procedure of the better type of motion 
picture theater, and are gathered from many instances rather 
than from few. Since they are without exception drawn from 
experience in operation, they constitute a theatrical standard 
that may serve as a practical guide. Yet executives must 
realize that expediency often takes precedence over theory, and 
that in theater operation much depends on the personality of 
the administration. Emerson has said: "Every institution is 
the lengthened shadow of some man." Business judgment 
must decide the occasions when theory is practicable, and when 
it is inadequate. 

Since figures tend to vary greatly in the motion picture 
business, it would be misleading to feature them in a general 
account of this sort. Not only are there variations within 
regions and districts and cities, but within the individual 
theater there are variations from season to season, from week 
to week. Therefore figures will be introduced only when neces- 
sary, and even then will be used solely for the purpose of 
illustration, and must not be considered on the basis of unfail- 
ing accuracy. 

These chapters are written after intensive study and after 
much first-hand experience in the operation mainly of large 
theaters. The content will therefore be found to apply most 



20 MOTION PICTURE THEATER MANAGEMENT 



closely to such theaters. It is believed, however, that the un- 
derlying principles should be applicable, with equal point, to 
any type of theater operated, no matter how small. Perhaps 
the local manager will profit from an opportunity to view the 
whole field in the large; or the small unit may be impelled to 
grow after the model of the greater. At any rate, the princi- 
ples set forth should serve the individual operator with the basis 
of comparison and check in black and white; and since any 
type of theater that depends upon the public for support has 
much in common with any other type, the author hopes that 
his words may be of some service outside his own domain of 
motion picture theater operation. 



CHAPTER II 



The Industry and the Theater 
HE history of the motion picture as an entertainment 



covers a period of thirty years. The early stage of 



the industry is similar in many respects to that of the 
story of oil, the automobile, and the railroad. The industry 
prospered only after a period of strife and fierce competition, 
and after several chaotic, climactic situations. 

Those who persevered some twenty-five years ago saw in 
the motion picture the foundation of a great business. With- 
out precedent or experience, these men felt their way along, 
conquered great difficulties, overcame great obstacles, and from 
a crude beginning, and after many random experiments, the 
business gradually prospered, attracting to it men of youth 
and imagination. In the same short span of thirty years, the 
motion picture developed an art, peculiarly its own. Despite 
its youth, it is compared favorably with the older arts, the 
drama and the newspaper, both of which required centuries 
of development. 

Mistakes have been made, but no industry could have 
achieved what the motion picture has, unless it was funda- 
mentally sound. Without background, those who developed 
a novelty into an industry that has reached a high plane have 
earned the respect and regard of people throughout the world. 
Even during the earlier, chaotic period, the record reveals a 
high proportion of progress. The pioneers were true builders, 
creators in the best sense. And those who are guiding the 
industry to-day have a clear realization of their responsibili- 
ties, both moral and educational, as apart from the financial 
consideration. If we can judge the future from the past, we 
may expect the same relative progress during the next thirty 
years as during the three decades that lie behind. 

No criticism can be brought against motion pictures which 




21 



22 MOTION PICTURE THEATER MANAGEMENT 



cannot be brought against books, with equal truth — there are 
good and bad pictures just as there are good and bad books. 

As we grow better, motion pictures will become better — 
great strides have already been made — the future is bright 
already in this respect. The business is still going forward, 
ever climbing and growing. From a mere plaything it has 
developed into the favorite entertainment of the masses. The 
motion picture is constantly recording progress in entertain- 
ment and artistic values. 

In 1922 the industry took a mighty step forward when the 
principal producers and distributors organized the Motion Pic- 
ture Producers and Distributors of America, with Mr. Will H. 
Hays, then Postmaster-General of the United States, as their 
guiding counsel. The object of this association can be more 
readily understood in reading the code of ethics included in 
the articles of incorporation, filed in Albany, N. Y. Briefly 
they are: 

"To establish and maintain the highest possible moral and 
artistic standards of motion picture production, and to develop the 
educational as well as the entertainment value and general useful- 
ness of the motion picture/' 

Those within the industry gave their confidence and coopera- 
tion to the association, which went a long way to stabilize the 
industry and place it on a basis which warranted and received 
public approval. The motion picture industry laid plans for 
further progress and development and directed itself to ex- 
pansion of its influence and its sphere of usefulness. It not 
only became the means of entertaining the people, but proved 
to be of great influence in molding opinion and taste, as well 
as a force for good will among nations, because of the univer- 
sal language of pictures, showing the habits of all to each, and 
in that way bringing them closer together and eliminating mis- 
understandings. Furthermore, the same sound business prin- 
ciples that govern other American industries direct the policies 
and methods of the different groups of the motion picture 
industry. 

There are three distinct branches of endeavor in the motion 
picture industry: that of (a) Production, (b) that of Distri- 



THE INDUSTRY AND THE THEATER 23 



bution, and (c) that of Exhibition. I will endeavor to make 
clear the function of each. 

PRODUCTION 

The production of Motion Pictures is accomplished by 
various groups, some of whom carry on the distribution and 
the exhibition (or theater operation) as well. The produc- 
tion of motion pictures is a costly undertaking, and if an or- 
ganization is to maintain extensive studios, as well as a talented 
creative staff, it is extremely important that it be closely allied 
with the distribution, to insure for itself a steady outlet for the 
product of its effort. For this reason each of the leading pro- 
ducers maintains his own distributing organization. There are 
producers who make occasional pictures, and who arrange for 
the distribution of their pictures through one of the distribu- 
tion organizations, which are always willing to circulate a 
product which is meritorious. There are producers, however, 
who make occasional pictures that do not measure up to the 
best standards ; and such pictures are not encouraged through 
regular distributing channels. These pictures are released 
through the state right market, where the right to distribute 
the particular picture in a given territory is sold to a state 
right distributor either for a lump sum, or on a percentage 
arrangement through which the producers participate in the 
film rentals. 

There is no definite formula in the making of good motion 
pictures. In many respects such production may be compared 
to the publishing of books, or the producing of plays. New 
ideas, originality in creation, are of equal moment in picture 
making as in any other phase of creative work. If the first 
essential of a good picture is a good story, the second is a good 
director. The preparation in planning and working out the 
scenario, and the amount of time that can be spent on the 
production, are of importance. Direction that brings out the 
story in a simple way, so that it may be clearly understood by 
all kinds of people, is always desirable. Coordination between 
all departments of production is essential to bring about a gen- 
uine result. A weak link may result in a poor picture. Story 



24. MOTION PICTURE THEATER MANAGEMENT 



value with heart interest, human in its appeal, that has pictorial 
value, with a novel theme of general attractiveness, makes for 
the best type of picture. In the mechanical phase, picture mak- 
ing has reached great heights. There need no longer be any tol- 
erance of a standard below the best in photography, in lighting, 
in settings, or in technical equipment. 

The stories that are made into pictures are recruited from 
the best material throughout the world, modern and classic; 
material is drawn from the best literature and from stage 
plays. In addition, the motion picture has developed a litera- 
ture all its own; situations can be shown on the screen that 
could hardly be expressed in words or acted on a stage. With 
all of nature's background as a setting, writing for the screen 
involves a technique that is peculiarly its own. A stage play 
or a novel that is to prove successful in films must be entirely 
rewritten for adjustment to a different medium. Indeed, some 
of the biggest successes had no previous appearance in drama 
or literature. They enjoyed their first presentation as motion 
pictures — "The Ten Commandments," "The Lost World" and 
"The Big Parade." Furthermore, there have been instances 
of elevating inconsequential novels or plays to the level of such 
masterpieces of film art as "The Birth of a Nation" or "The 
Covered Wagon." 

Motion pictures are designed to appeal to the majority of 
people. That is why the occasional "high brow" picture does 
not meet with the box-office success. The industry does not 
pretend to cater to the self-styled "intelligentsia." When suffi- 
cient people show interest in seeing a type of picture different 
from the sort now presented, the industry will be able and 
willing to supply the demand. 

Those who are entrusted with the picturization of suitable 
material have a sympathetic understanding of picture require- 
ments, and are guided by a pardonable pride in their effort. 
It is the sincere spirit in which they fulfill their task that is to 
a great extent responsible for the high average of the Ameri- 
can output. 

In production, the big development of the future will come 
through internationalization. This will bring about continued 



THE INDUSTRY AND THE THEATER 25 



progress for American motion pictures throughout the world, 
and make a new era for the industry. Such pictures will find 
added favor with the people of foreign countries, when the 
best artists and directors are brought to them through the 
highly-developed American technique. No foreign motion 
picture producing company can attract to itself artists, direc- 
tors, or technicians in competition with America, whose re- 
sources and markets are without limit. Already, several im- 
portant producers have taken definite steps in this direction, 
and have brought into their production organization directors, 
artists, and technicians who have achieved success abroad. 
There are, as well, foreign writers of importance, who will 
have at their disposal the highly-developed facilities of the 
foremost American producer. Such cooperative enterprise 
can meet with no less than world-wide favor. 

The international appeal of American-made pictures can 
be better understood when it is realized that screen actors that 
appear in American films are recruited from all parts of the 
world. Mr. Will H. Hays recently made a survey of im- 
portant actors, directors, and camera men in Hollywood. He 
found that 60 were Englishmen, 26 Canadians, 16 Russians, 
23 Germans, 12 French, 10 Austrians, 11 Swedes, 7 Italians, 
6 Hungarians, 4 Japanese, 3 Mexicans, 3 Danes. Others came 
from India, the Argentine, China, Roumania, Brazil, Poland. 

The laboratory where positive prints are made from the 
negative is operated in conjunction with the production de- 
partment. Large companies administer their own laboratories. 
Approximately 150 prints are made of each feature picture. 
These are divided among the exchange centers, from which 
the theaters are served. Two negative prints of each picture 
are made on different cameras; one is retained for national 
distribution; while the other is sent abroad for the European 
market, where the positive prints are made. Translators 
make titles for each country in which the picture is to be 
shown. 

DISTRIBUTION 

The distribution machinery of the motion picture has been 
developed to a high degree. Distribution means the renting of 



26 MOTION PICTURE THEATER MANAGEMENT 



the motion pictures to exhibitors throughout the country, the 
physical transportation of the film, as well as the proper ex- 
ploitation of the pictures which are sold. The development 
of motion picture distribution during the last five years has 
truly been an achievement, and has developed a school of sales- 
manship of the very highest type. Intensive advertising cam- 
paigns, which are enterprising and productive, help in the 
merchandising of these pictures. These campaigns are backed 
up by efficient and concentrated selling methods. The man who 
is principally responsible for the development is Mr. Sydney R. 
Kent, who is regarded as the most advanced distribution exec- 
utive that the industry has produced. 

The machinery of distribution is conducted through approx- 
imately thirty-three key cities in America. Each exchange is 
presided over by a branch manager. The exchanges are 
divided into two or three divisions, which are in charge of 
Division Managers, who conduct the business from the home 
office under the supervision of the General Manager of Dis- 
tribution. Each exchange branch is the base from which a 
number of salesmen operate, under the direction of the branch 
manager. These salesmen cover the territory, visiting each 
exhibitor in person. The sales campaign is inaugurated by 
divisional conventions, at which every one concerned with the 
sale of the picture is present. Sales policies and price sched- 
ules, which have been carefully worked out, are presented to 
the sales force. These conventions are remarkable expositions 
of skill in mass selling; the film men become instilled with the 
enthusiasm of their leaders, and undertake their selling with an 
enthusiasm which just can't fail. Their extensive selling ma- 
chinery brings distribution into immediate and close contact 
with practically every theater throughout the country. An 
elaborate system of shipping, presided over by experts, covers 
the network of theater bookings in each territory, insuring 
prompt delivery of film. A foreign department covers the 
European field in much the same way as the domestic distri- 
bution department is covered. The foreign department of a 
large distributing organization reaches every civilized corner 
in the world. 



THE INDUSTRY AND THE THEATER 



27 



During the year 1926, approximately 749 feature motion 
pictures were produced and distributed. 

The future will bring reciprocal arrangements between 
American and foreign distributors, which will carry to every 
country the best of foreign-made productions. 

The distribution described herein is in reference to feature 
motion pictures : the same practice applies to those organiza- 
tions that distribute short subjects. 

Motion pictures, either features or short subjects, are rented 
to exhibitors for the specific period in which they are used at 
each theater. Rentals vary in accordance with the size of the 
city or community, as well as with the type and size of the 
theater, and also in accordance with the run — first, second, 
third, etc. In most instances, the rental is a flat sum, which is 
based on the possible box-office receipts. These are scheduled 
by experts who are familiar with the film rental possibilities 
of the theater, and that figure is gauged against the national 
quota established for the picture to be sold. Each exchange 
center has some percentage against a national quota, estab- 
lished in accordance with its theater possibilities. In turn, 
each theater to be served has some part of the exchange center 
portion of the quota. In this way distribution organizations 
establish quotas which may be depended upon, and the sales 
possibilities tend to decide the amount of money that can be 
put into certain types of production. 

Box office possibilities of each type of production vary, and 
values are determined only through expert knowledge by both 
distributors and exhibitors. The latter buy pictures in groups, 
and frequently give preference to the organization which re- 
leases what they consider the best type of product. They 
then fill up the remaining, or open dates, with the next best 
product. Block buying is of great advantage to the exhibitor, 
because it guarantees his theater a definite supply of pictures 
of an established quality. Although pictures may be bought 
in groups, the price of each picture is contracted for specially. 
In some instances distributors receive a percentage of the re- 
ceipts in lieu of a flat rental, and in other instances a guarantee 
as well as a percentage, depending on the local situation. 



28 MOTION PICTURE THEATER MANAGEMENT 



With the development of chain theater operation, there will 
probably come a change in production and distribution 
methods. It is obvious that as the buying of motion pictures 
narrows down to several smaller groups, there is no necessity 
for maintaining a very costly, extensive selling machinery. 

When it is considered that there are approximately twenty 
competitive branch offices in thirty-five or more key cities in 
America, each exchange employing a number of salesmen, it 
can readily be seen what a tremendous sum is involved in the 
present system of selling and distribution. Selling costs have 
averaged between twenty-five and thirty-five per cent, of film 
rentals. The simplification of distribution machinery will 
mean the saving of vast sums. 

The average motion picture theater annually rents from 
distributors approximately 175 feature pictures and about 350 
short subjects ; thus it can readily be seen what vast machinery 
is necessary to keep the 20,000 theaters furnished with 
product ! 

THEATER OPERATION 

Of approximately 18,000 theaters in this country, about 
1,000 are controlled by distributing-producing organizations. 
It is natural and logical for the producer-distributor to main- 
tain a contact with the ultimate consumer, the motion picture 
patron. Just as oil producers buy up refineries and gas sta- 
tions, just as manufacturers of electrical equipment buy into 
public utilities, so it is to be expected that the producer-dis- 
tributor shall consider theater operation an important part of 
his activities. The theaters which are operated by producer- 
distributors may be said to be "Key" or "First run" theaters, 
and are really show-cases where they may show their pictures 
under the most favorable circumstances, at the same time 
affording independent theater owners an opportunity to gauge 
the public reaction to the pictures presented, and serving as a 
guide to value. It is therefore to be expected that the number 
of producer-distributor theaters, owned either directly or in 
part, will increase. All the economies and advantages accruing 
to the widely successful "Chain" operation may be supplied 
also to the theater circuits. In addition to the theaters owned 



THE INDUSTRY AND THE THEATER 29 



by producing-distribution interests, large chain operations have 
been developed and will continue to be developed by exhibitors, 
having no financial affiliation with producer-distributors, yet 
associated through a common bond of interest, and tending to 
bring about improved standards of theater operation. Cer- 
tain types of theaters will always be operated by independent 
exhibitors, whose talents and abilities are essential for the 
theater's success. The personal element in theater operation 
is of great importance, and there will always be room for ex- 
hibitors of personality who understand theater showmanship. 

THE PLACE OF THE MOTION PICTURE THEATER 

There is hardly any need to define what is evident to all. To 
the general public, a motion picture theater is devoted to en- 
tertainment by means of films, where all may attend who pay 
for admission in accordance with a scale of prices posted at the 
box office, provided they conduct themselves properly. On the 
other hand, it is equally obvious that such an institution is a 
business, an enterprise offering to the community a highly 
desired commodity in exchange for income that must, nat- 
urally, include a profit. Any cinema, anywhere, is both of 
these things, and succeeds in measure as it accomplishes the 
double aim of amusement and financial return. 

In another sense, each theater might require separate char- 
acterization. We are not likely to confuse the simple structure 
at the country crossroads with the mammoth edifice that towers 
above the crowded city thoroughfare. The problems, the pos- 
sibilities, the ingenuities of management will show a thousand 
and one distinctions between this house and that, one manager 
and another — to say nothing of the manifold differences of 
music, advertising, service, and even sanitation which set off 
one amusement center from all the rest. A theater, like a man, 
is a personality — for better or worse — by itself ; and each one 
defines itself to the locality in its own way. 

Yet between the general definition and the particular, there 
still lies the possibility of making certain classifications accord- 
ing to certain similarities. The trade does not pretend to cater 
to all alike, or to each entirely on the basis of special need. A 



30 MOTION PICTURE THEATER MANAGEMENT 



number of types are recognized; and while their function is the 
same anywhere, and their needs different everywhere, they are 
found to group themselves naturally according to broad sim- 
ilarities determined by experience. 

The better sort of theater, for example, is known as the 
"De Luxe First Run," a title which indicates a richness of 
display, a priority in the showing of recent pictures, and, of 
course, a great income. This kind of house caters to the pleas- 
ure of an entire metropolis. Accordingly, it is situated in some 
central district, such as the main business or shopping zone. 
On its program will be found a feature, which consists of five 
to seven reels of a thousand feet of film each; a number of 
short subjects, generally comprising a one- or two-reel comedy, 
and a news weekly ; or sometimes a travel scenic or other nov- 
elty subject. In larger cities, there may be also one or more 
of the following stage presentations : a revue, a prologue in- 
spired by the feature, a dance divertissement, soloists, or some 
number specially produced by the management. Frequently, 
well-known actors or actresses appear before the patrons of a 
De Luxe Theater. 

"Neighborhood Theaters" are located in residential sections, 
and are thus to be distinguished from the first type. They may 
seat three or four hundred, and be of simple design; or they 
may vie with the finest class of downtown institution. The 
size and magnificence are determined by the size and character 
of the surrounding population. Such theaters usually play 
motion pictures after the first showing of the more centrally 
located nouses, and are therefore distinguished from them by 
the name "second run." The type of program, otherwise, is 
practically the same as that of the De Luxe, except that in 
smaller and smaller communities the auxiliary elements are 
fewer and less elaborate. For instance, the full-sized sym- 
phony orchestra dwindles by degrees to a solo organist as we 
go down the ranks; and the elaborate changes of scenery are 
in some places reduced to one permanent stage design, and in 
most are not to be found at all. Yet in cities of great size the 
neighborhood theater may present a program in every way as 



THE INDUSTRY AND THE THEATER 31 



ambitious as the one downtown; excepting that the orchestra 
seldom exceeds thirty pieces, and the showing of the "second 
run" feature is made "simultaneously" with that of other 
neighborhood houses. 

Third, fourth, or fifth run theaters are to be found wherever 
the population warrants the type. The importance, naturally, 
diminishes with the run. Among these are to be found the 
so-called "sensational" houses. They are generally small places 
that cater to the element which craves "action" pictures, that is, 
not only western subjects, but others that may be called melo- 
dramatic in the extreme. They can best be characterized as 
being of the "Nick Carter" type. They help fill the place left 
by the "ten-twenty-thirty" stage show of the last decade. 
There is a sharp line of division between the conduct of the 
"sensational" type of picture theater and the others. 

Another kind that may properly be classified with motion 
picture theaters is the vaudeville-picture house. This type is 
found mainly in the large cities. The program consists of a 
feature and five or six acts of vaudeville. The pictures ex- 
hibited are either second run, or first run products of sec- 
ondary importance. This type of theater reached its highest 
development under the policies established by Loew's under the 
supervision of Nicholas M. Schenck. 

In some parts of the country there is a type known as the 
"double feature" house, because the program consists of two 
features instead of one. The purpose, obviously, is to entice 
the "bargain" instinct of patrons. Yet there are distinct 
disadvantages in such procedure. It is like asking a person to 
read two novels in the same evening. The operation of these 
theaters seems inadvisable to the most constructive minds of 
the industry, and is discouraged as much as possible. 

In the smaller towns the local theater often houses the 
motion picture as well as the vaudeville, legitimate, or concert 
attractions, playing each for a day or two, according to book- 
ings. A community of this size is willing and able to patron- 
ize a variety of amusements, but is not large enough to sup- 
port a run of any continuance. The theater therefore is a kind 



32 MOTION PICTURE THEATER MANAGEMENT 



of cross-section of the world of entertainment * and it is signifi- 
cant that even here the new art is giving more than a good 
account of itself among its elders. 

No classification of motion picture theaters would be com- 
plete without mention of the greatest type of all — the type 
which I shall classify as the "Super." ' It is the last word in 
architectural treatment. It seats, usually, from 3,500 to 6,000 
patrons — a city under one roof ! It contains lobbies and public 
rooms of grand scale, whose proportions are comparable with 
those of great public buildings. In most instances, too, the 
super-theater equals the best of contemporary structures in 
decorative effect. It has the spaciousness, the luxurious ap- 
pointments, of an elaborate mansion. Of this type the best 
instance to cite is the Paramount Theatre, New York, which 
will be treated in detail in another chapter of this volume. 

Since these various groups are well defined in the industry, it 
stands to reason that management of a given theater must bear 
in mind the kind of patronage to be attracted, and must act 
accordingly. Care must be taken to insure the surroundings 
and accommodations which will attract the desired patronage. 
If, for example, the clientele desired is of the steady, self- 
respecting middle class, the lobby and other portions of the 
house should be as clean and cheerful as the home standards 
of patrons naturally would demand, and displays should be 
bright and attractive, but not cheap or sensational. It is gen- 
erally conceded that a theater personality will attract a particu- 
lar class of people. 

Sometimes, of course, changes of neighborhood and of pop- 
ulation will dictate a distinct alteration in the personality of 
the house. Managers must take cognizance of such shifts, and 
be guided by them. For example, 125th Street in New York 
was for a long time considered the "Main Street" of people 
living above 110th Street. In recent years, however, the col- 
ored belt of this section of Harlem has come down so close to 
125th Street that the thoroughfare no longer attracts white 
residents living to the south of that line. There has conse- 
quently arisen, for the managements of theaters located on the 
street, a problem requiring the most alert judgment and re- 



THE INDUSTRY AND THE THEATER 33 



sourcefulness. In the same manner, a new class of people will 
often encroach on a district of established character, and in- 
evitably the whole personality of the local theater will undergo 
marked change. It is therefore sound policy to make a careful 
study of conditions that will insure the attraction of the de- 
sired clientele. The factors here are location, design in struc- 
ture, service, and quality of entertainment. 

Whatever has been said in this chapter concerning produc- 
tion and distribution is offered to the reader merely by way of 
setting for the better understanding of the chapters that are 
to follow. They deal with our real theme — operation. And 
operation, reduced to its elements, means the motion picture 
theater itself. It is the point at which industry and consumer 
meet— the local market of a national supply and demand. 

The hundreds of thousands who congregate nightly under 
the exhibitor's roof are indulging in a luxury only in a sec- 
ondary sense. Truly, they gather here as they go elsewhere for 
bread ; because here, as nowhere else, is to be found the civilized 
man's great necessity — release from the day's routine — an 
alternation from perhaps tedious reality to liberating romance. 
They turn their faces to a blank wall which, at the operator's 
command, becomes a window upon the variegated globe of 
the actual, or a magician's crystal into which frustrated hearts 
may gaze and find of moment for the recognition of life's 
dreams and ecstasies. Lost from the humdrum, they thrill to 
adventure, melt in love, or throb with sympathy. This is no 
luxury, this hour of recreation that falls like manna on the 
hungry spirit; and just as housekeepers go by habit to those 
shops that best supply them with the bread and meat of daily 
subsistence, so the steps of the hungry for romance may be 
drawn to the door of the exhibitor who knows his mission and 
performs it truly. 

What the performance means, in plain terms of management 
and service, the remainder of this volume, I hope, will make 
clear. There are chapters on the manager and his subordi- 
nates. There are chapters on construction and maintenance. 
There is a section on finance, another on auxiliary and con- 
tributive elements. These contain common sense counsel, based 



34 MOTION PICTURE THEATER MANAGEMENT 



only on actual practice. In general and in detail they are in- 
tended as a practical guide. Yet they will be something less 
than most effective to that manager who, armed with theory 
to the last footnote, has never learned that he is the director 
of a business enterprise that ministers to a great, insistent want 
by providing the product of a vast and growing industry. 
That is the place of the moving picture theater. 



Part II 
Management and Organization 



CHAPTER III 



Management and the Public 

THE manager of a theater has certain specific duties : to 
plan, to make decisions, to select capable assistants, to 
inspire a spirit of loyalty among his staff, and to strive 
to make his theater a public institution. In many ways he is 
the arbiter of the public taste. That is, although he takes 
guidance from the tendencies of patrons toward amusement, 
he must be the super-salesman in the respect that he induces 
people to respond to the future market, which he knows in ad- 
vance. He must win interest for coming programs, and 
spread the feeling that his theater is zealously studying the 
public wish in order to provide more than the usual enter- 
tainment. 

On the other hand, the manager cannot cater to patrons at 
all unless he is an alert, responsible executive, conscious of the 
problems of his business. Pleasing the public is his objective. 
To that end he must supervise every function of the business, 
and be conversant with details, though not ridden by them. A 
man driving a team does not pull the wagon — he holds the 
reins and keeps an eye on the road. So, to carry out his obli- 
gations effectively, to live up to the responsibilities of leader- 
ship, the manager must have proper perspective of the enter- 
prise under his care. He must accordingly keep himself free 
to observe, so that he can think straight, and thus plan wisely 
and control surely. Yet his place is not at a desk, but in the 
theater. He should circulate among the patrons, with eyes and 
ears wide open for significant reactions. He should always sit 
through the first performance of every change of program, so 
that he may readily make advisable improvements. He should 
be personally available during the time of peak attendance loads. 
In this way, while in close contact with actual operating con- 

37 



38 MOTION PICTURE THEATER MANAGEMENT 



ditions, he is not distressed or distracted by them to the extent 
of failing to see the forest for the trees. 

Since he is not a person who lives and works from day to 
day, he must plan future operations carefully. He thus avoids 
the mistakes that arise from overtimidity and snap decisions. 
Careful planning clarifies the policies of the theater. Where 
the patron's interest is bounded by the single performance, 
where the outlook of some subordinate is but a week or two 
in advance, it must fall to the manager to be a reader of coming 
events, and to prepare for or against them. Perhaps the most 
obvious instance of this simple truth is connected with con- 
tracting and booking motion pictures and other units of the 
program. Just as it stands to reason that these must be ar- 
ranged for considerably ahead of play date, so it follows that 
intelligent and telling advertising campaigns require fore- 
thought and sometimes strategy. In similar ways, as will be 
explained elsewhere in these pages, there is constant need of 
foreview in matters of finance, statistics, personnel and stock 
keeping. 

It is the combination of experience and foresight that fits 
the manager for his chief function — the making of decisions 
pertaining to important questions. This responsibility is not 
to be delegated. Routine may be left in the hands of trusted 
employees when such a step is temporarily necessary; but 
policy can originate only from the top. Furthermore, de- 
cisions must come from one mind alone, since they should be 
made promptly, with an absolute minimum of delay in the ask- 
ing of questions. Timeliness in theater operation is a con- 
sideration impossible to overemphasize. For example^ it is 
not enough merely to anticipate a holiday and to prepare to 
share in the celebration. The alert manager is on his toes to 
keep time with any public-spirited movement that may arise, 
perhaps without warning. He must breathe the spirit of the 
day and thus capture the' confidence of the public. A theater 
that leads the way can turn its audience into a following. 

The same eagle-eyed scrutiny must prevail within the 
theater. Just as it is the general, understood purpose of the 
industry to sell entertainment, so, more subtly but no less 



MANAGEMENT AND THE PUBLIC 39 



truly, it is the function of the individual theater to sell service. 
In this respect, there is a strong resemblance between a theater 
and a hotel; and wisdom would point to an adoption of the 
policy of the Statler houses — "the guest is always right." 
Such an attitude solves every question in regard to service 
automatically. 

Since the theater is a commercial enterprise, one of the man- 
ager's duties in relation to the public is to have a keen notion 
of competition. He must be eternally comparing other opera- 
tion with his own. He must not be lulled into a feeling of 
satisfaction or security, but must strive for better and better 
results if his theater is to maintain its progress. It is not 
difficult to know of a competitor's activities in this field. 
Service, cleanliness, advertising, and type of entertainment 
are matters that lie on the surface for a watchful eye. Fur- 
thermore, no manager, in making comparisons, should take 
himself or his rival as the standard, but should go out of the 
neighborhood, and even out of town, to make sure that he is 
measuring himself up to a level that is really high. 

One source of information on this subject, quite as valuable 
as his own observations, is the light shed by suggestions from 
patrons. Such information may come to management through 
letters, complaints, or comment to attaches. It is good practice 
to provide employees with printed forms whereon such com- 
ment may be noted, to be passed up to authority. Many 
theaters maintain boxes into which patrons are urged to drop 
written suggestions or complaints ; and in the ordinary run of 
affairs every theater gets letters of complaint and commenda- 
tion. Modern managements encourage any form taken by the 
commenting spirit, because of the valuable clews offered as 
to what the public thinks right or wrong, and especially as to 
what the public thinks is right or wrong with the theater in 
question. 

Another — indeed, an indispensable method of studying the 
public — is made use of when the manager puts himself in the 
patron's place. He visits his own theater as the patron would ; 
and not only that, but he visits other theaters with the same 
point of view, and studies everything from the curbstone to 



40 MOTION PICTURE THEATER MANAGEMENT 



the stage. Animated by the spirit of one merely out for an 
interval of diversion, he adds his own conscious, active inspec- 
tion along the lines of what he knows to be the best. Whereas 
the patron drifts to a seat before the screen, urged by an un- 
analyzed mood of excursion, the manager dissects and notes 
with every ounce of judgment he can bring to bear. This is no 
guesswork. It is brain work and the moment a manager de- 
teriorates into a poor judge of the public's desires, he ceases 
to belong to this business. The moment he finds himself wait- 
ing for the competitor to show him what to do, instead of 
going him one better or showing him the way, he has fallen 
behind the march of the times and dropped back to a rear rank 
in a parade that is always moving ahead of him. 

If the foregoing objectives are to be summed up in one ex- 
pression rather than in any other, they are to be put best in 
the two words, Good Will. No theater can be successful with- 
out good will. Very few institutions are so sensitive to public 
good will as is the motion picture theater. The entire staff, 
from the manager down to the porter, must have an instinct 
for hospitality. Each constitutes an important part that makes 
the whole staff one perfect host. The ideal service should be 
as unobtrusive as it is kindly, permitting the well-behaved 
patron to make use of the theater undictated. It is not good 
hospitality to direct or drive the patron in a direction opposite 
to the one he wishes to take. In some theaters the idea of 
service is carried to an extreme because of the so-called mili- 
tary training of the staff. The result is a stiff and artificial 
machine that gives the attaches an uninviting manner. Per- 
haps it is impressive. But do patrons come to be impressed, 
or to have an enjoyable time? Is it not the recollection of that 
enjoyable time that brings them back again and again? 

A public mint and a picture theater both make money; but 
the former manufactures it, and the latter earns it. That's 
the only difference, but it's all the difference in the world. No 
manager has a right to think that he has raw material and 
that he is going to turn it into dollars by machine methods. He 
has to win his public and hold it. Let him get them to come, 
to come in crowds and repeatedly. But the electromagnet of 



MANAGEMENT AND THE PUBLIC 41 



good will needs the unresting current of something dynamic. 

So far I have spoken almost entirely of the manager be- 
cause it is upon him that the emphasis falls. No one, nat- 
urally, expects one man to perform all the functions of the 
theater directly. Any number of people, from a handful to 
hundreds, will be needed to keep the house going. But these 
people, in the last analysis, either spell one management, or 
the manager has failed. The girl who sells the tickets is not 
working for herself. If she is, the organization has one de- 
cidedly weak link. No. She is not completely an individual. 
She is that part of the management that sells tickets; and 
unless she knows it, she is incapable of representing the theater, 
of furthering its highly developed policy, of protecting and 
nurturing its accumulated good will. And since the manager 
is responsible for her duties as he is for the whole business of 
which she is part, he fails when she does, or succeeds in meas- 
ure as she lives up to the requirements of her post. 

Here we logically take up an indirect connection between 
management and patron — indirect and therefore all the more 
necessary to make sure of. We begin to see, too, how every 
act of management — even to hiring employees or buying sup- 
plies — must be actuated by the same urge to acquire good will 
as is present in program-making or publicity. Therefore the 
manager must be a man who can handle employees as well as 
patrons, expenses as well as receipts. He can not conceivably 
show each patron to his seat, so he engages ushers to do it for 
him; and he must impress those ushers that, in performing 
one of his duties, they must do it as he would — courteously, 
agreeably, with the success of the house at heart. Instead of 
scrubbing floors with his own hands, he keeps his theater clean 
with the hands of the porters and the scrubwomen. Every 
element of the organization is an extension of his policy and 
himself, not for self-glorification, but for success. 

Accordingly, certain common sense procedures are ines- 
capable. In the first place, the individual employee must be 
instructed, in detail, not merely in the routine of his task, but 
equally in that manner of performing it which shall accord 
with the highest standards of the house. Specific instructions 



42 MOTION PICTURE THEATER MANAGEMENT 



leave no doubt and minimize the danger of giving offense. 
They should therefore be administered to new employees not 
by one means but by every means possible; word of mouth, 
written or printed rules, example and drill. Where the size 
of organization warrants, the employee should furthermore be 
aware of the whole organization and of the function exercised 
by his department and by himself. To this end, meetings of 
departments and of the entire staff are desirable. Here the 
manager can at one and the same time infuse the individual 
attache with his spirit, and create within the group a vital 
esprit de corps. 

It can readily be seen that routine, on any scale, would con- 
sume all of the manager's time, and detract from his executive 
function. It is therefore necessary, in large theaters, to depu- 
tize certain supervisory functions to heads of departments. 
An unforeseen occurrence may require executive attention; 
but a repetition is handled by a subordinate. That is, impor- 
tant decisions are still made by the head ; but routine is carried 
on by employees engaged for the purpose. Thus routine be- 
comes a standard method of doing certain work, a calculated 
and habitual procedure tending to produce efficiency. For ex- 
ample, there should be a certain established routine for every 
group of workers in service, in finance, in inventory, in daily 
reports on cleanliness, ventilation, and burnt-out lights. With- 
out a definite routine of accounting, the reports which serve 
as a business control would not be available. Of course, safe- 
guards must be taken to prevent routine from deadening into 
red tape; but no large theater can afford to operate without 
specific routine, routine that conforms with, and changes with, 
actual conditions. 

It is therefore imperative that the manager choose his de- 
partment heads with care. They are employees with definite 
duties, and must be steady, loyal, and active. On the 
other hand, they are minor executives, and must be capable 
of holding good inspections and making intelligent reports. 
Since it is through these men that the manager reaches 
his employees, it is necessary for him to be in touch with 
them. Individual conferences are excellent and should be 



MANAGEMENT AND THE PUBLIC 43 



periodic. Yet these are not enough. A valuable aid to theater 
management is the weekly or bi-weekly meeting of department 
heads, not only for discussion, but for inter-department adjust- 
ments, and for the excellent effect on esprit de corps. Depart- 
ment heads are made to feel that they are important parts of 
the organization and have a voice in its management. Further- 
more, the manager finds splendid opportunity to disseminate 
the ideals and policies of the company, to inject his morale into 
the minds and hearts of those who carry the message to their 
subordinates for the winning of the public by the reflection of 
a high and human standard. 

The maintenance of strict discipline among all employees is 
an extremely important factor in guaranteeing proper service. 
The manager must see to it that department heads maintain 
such discipline by supervising their immediate staffs closely 
and by pointing out any infraction of the established rules. 
The heads must maintain their superiority, neither permitting 
familiarities nor indulging in favoritism. The best discipline 
is one that is not noticeable, but that nevertheless exists. The 
operation of a theater can be compared with that of a ship, 
where every member of the crew, from bridge to engine room, 
knows his place and does his duty. 

And the manager, of course, is the captain — the brains, the 
will, and the law. In the ultimate reckoning, anything that 
goes wrong in the theater has gone wrong in his theater, in 
him. A false direction in publicity may be the error of the ad- 
vertising manager, but it nevertheless comes home to roost in 
the executive office. Unreliable accounting hits the manager 
harder than the cashier. Shabby service loses custom, not only 
for the doorman or the usher, but for the theater and the man 
who directs it. 

In devoting a chapter of this part of the book to the man- 
ager as an individual, the author wishes to stress, not merely 
the obvious fact that the manager is the most important ele- 
ment in the theater, but that he is the heart of it, pumping 
vitality into the farthest and minutest tissue of its being. This 
view should be kept in mind by the reader as he goes along. 
There will be pages seemingly devoted to details of accounting, 



44 MOTION PICTURE THEATER MANAGEMENT 



or finance, or engineering, merely for themselves. That is not 
the author's intention; for although such matters do truly- 
come up in theaters, it is not their existence, but the use made 
of them, that counts. There is not a shred of explanation or 
information between these covers that should fail to interest 
the manager; it is intended not only for his enlightenment, 
but for his use, and, it is to be hoped, for his success. 



CHAPTER IV 



Departments and Functions 

SUPERVISION is very essential to guarantee a fine serv- 
ice, and the larger the theater, the more essential it is to 
divide the responsibility for supervision. The oper- 
ator of a small theater books his own pictures, buys his own 
supplies, perhaps acts as cashier or doorman. His theater then 
outgrows its possibilities, and he perhaps moves to a larger 
building. The work in this newer house demands more time, 
making it necessary for him to concentrate on management 
solely. With the number of employees multiplied, the operator 
finds that his theater requires more careful planning and man- 
agement, and engages an assistant to whom he delegates some 
of the responsibility. 

In a large theater, the manager retains control of each de- 
partment, even though he delegates the detail of conducting 
the departments to others. In this way he is able to concen- 
trate on general administration, while assistants or department 
heads carry on the routine. That is organization. The size 
of the organization naturally is determined by the number of 
employees required to dispense service. Supervision should 
be provided so that some authority is always exercised while 
the theater is open to the public. This prevents laxity amongst 
service employees and helps to maintain high standards at all 
times. 

The manager's responsibility is to know what his objective is 
and to understand clearly what he wants to accomplish. To 
bring about that result he must fully control his organization 
by choosing capable helpers to make decisions. He must know 
every one in the organization, and be familiar with his theater 
from the cellar to the garret. He must love the theater en- 
thusiastically and be able to spread confidence throughout his 
organization. He must have ideals and must make the public 

45 



46 MOTION PICTURE THEATER MANAGEMENT 



believe in him and his objective. If he does this, success will 
be with him. "Every institution that has contributed to prog- 
ress," said Theodore Roosevelt, "has been built upon the 
initiative and enthusiasm of an individual. The creative — 
the driving part of every institution can be traced to the 
individual." 

Therefore the manager must clearly and definitely establish 
the various departments, together with their responsibilities. 
Every department must cooperate with the others, so that the 
organization may function harmoniously and with a single 
purpose. While department heads are to be encouraged in 
friendly rivalry, which is productive of initiative, they must 
not conflict. The manager must guard against such possi- 
bilities. 

Proper advertising, for example, is dependent on early 
bookings. It is natural that the advertising department must 
know the type of attraction that is booked, as well as its merit, 
if it is to create an enthusiastic campaign. It is therefore im- 
portant that bookings be made promptly and carefully, so that 
the advertising department may function efficiently. In the 
same manner the projection department must dovetail with 
the efforts of the musical and the production departments. 
The duties of each must be carefully prescribed, however, even 
when they cooperate. 

In Figure i the organization of a theater by departments 
is illustrated. This chart shows the departments essential 
to an operation of the highest efficiency, although in small 
theaters two or more departments may be concentrated into 
one. 

The two operating divisions are : 

1. The front. 

(All activities in connection with the service and busi- 
ness end of the theater are included in this classifica- 
tion.) 

2. The back. 

(The "back of the house" includes everything pertain- 
ing to the entertainment, including musicians, stage- 
hands, projectionists, and performers.) 













c 


■z. 






8 
u_ 












P 







n > 



iff* 



*D P in 
met' 



Is ae 

f 3 c>> m 

0»- S_ D_ 



E | 



E 

EE.? 



t> c b> « t5 £ o 

"3 ^ JQ r O -TO Dr^£r|3 



HOT 



2 1 S | a s u 



C M £ D d 

a. y la - ^ w 

b> in t> .£ P v 

33 5- 3 in -J- d 



t3 

a bo 



cn co f fe a 

a d g D ^ 
D D D i. u 

cn 03 OT Dh to 



■wi K 5 U "»» 

OT & 3 U ft 



48 MOTION PICTURE THEATER MANAGEMENT 



The "front of the house" is the "selling" division of a 
theater. The success of this group is determined by its results 
in creating and maintaining a satisfied patronage. The "front 
of the house" is usually supervised by an assistant or house 
manager. He generally organizes various sub-department 
heads, who carry out the obligations of the "front." The 
"back of the house" is the entertainment division and is in 
charge of a production manager who is responsible for the 
entertainment. 

The assistant or house manager is in close contact with the 
service and housekeeping departments. The uniformed service 
renders all possible assistance in making patrons comfortable. 
The housekeeping department is responsible for the physical 
appearance of the theater. It inspects and supervises the clean- 
ing, and keeps the equipment in repair. 

The fundamental duties of the production manager are to 
create or arrange for the stage attractions, and to blend the 
various units in the program into a harmonious entertainment. 
Theaters that do not use stage attractions generally combine 
the duties of the production manager with those of musical 
director. The entertainment, however, is frequently subject to 
the direct supervision of the manager himself. 

A department of utmost importance is that of advertising. 
The publicity of a theater is its mouthpiece, and as such must 
convey to the public the character of the entertainment. The 
advertising department is really the "sales" force of a theater. 
It must attract patronage. The work is generally conducted 
by an advertising specialist under the direct supervision of 
the manager. It prepares and places all advertising that ap- 
pears in the newspapers, on the billboard, and in and about the 
theater. The number of persons employed in the advertising 
department depends on the size of the theater and the number 
of people to be reached. 

The Auditing Department of a theater has to do with all 
activity in connection with the handling of money and accounts. 
In small theaters, the owner generally attends to this work. In 
large operations the essentials are similar, the most important 
function being to give a correct presentation of the condition 



DEPARTMENTS AND FUNCTIONS 49 



of the business. It records checks and makes possible the 
control of the operation. 

The Accounting Department must function without inter- 
ference by any one in the organization. At the same time, 
care must be taken that its activities harmonize with those of 
other departments, in order not to discourage initiative. 

The Engineering Department functions in connection with 
the heat, light, power, and refrigeration, and is responsible for 
the upkeep of the plant. 

Music is a special department of the theater and is super- 
vised by a musical director and conductor who is responsible 
for the music, both as to the personnel and the programs per- 
formed. The musical interpretation of motion pictures is ex- 
tremely important and contributes much to the success of a 
theater. Therefore the management selects only the best 
available conductor for this post. He must be a musician and 
at the same time appreciate the value of showmanship. 

Good projection is the heart of a motion picture theater. 
Without a clear picture, with proper intensity of light, all the 
management's efforts are in vain. Therefore the importance 
of selecting men who are expert is apparent. 

The volume of business of a theater often necessitates a sub- 
division of departments. A typical large theater in New York 
operates with the following organization : 

1. Manager's office. 7. Stage department. 

2. Service department. 8. Musical department. 

3. Housekeeping department. 9. Advertising department. 

4. Engineering department. 10. Accounting department. 

5. Production department. 11. Sign department. 

6. Projection department. 12. Tailoring department. 

The assistant managers help to enforce the service policies 
of the company. 

The uniformed service department includes doormen, ushers, 
page boys, footman, coat room attendants, and porters. 

The work of the production and musical departments and 
of the management is very closely related; sometimes the duties 
of both departments are undertaken by the same person. 

The organization of different theaters may vary in ac- 



50 MOTION PICTURE THEATER MANAGEMENT 



cordance with local conditions, and can be determined only by 
the circumstances that prevail at a particular theater. In some 
theaters, for instance, the production work is undertaken as a 
sub-division of the musical department. In such a case the 
musical director may have special talent for the added duties. 
In smaller theaters, similarly, the department of administra- 
tion includes the functions of publicity. 

Each department head should be in control of his depart- 
ment. In no other way can he be held responsible for results. 
However, the management must at all times exercise control 
as to expense and proper coordination. 

Since the modern theater should operate on a budget, de- 
partment heads should be required to submit estimates of their 
department operation, which must be approved by the manager 
to become effective. The subject of budgets is one of extreme 
importance and will be treated in another chapter. 

In concluding this chapter on organization, the writer wishes 
to point out that he has attempted to emphasize certain princi- 
ples. First, the policies of the theater must be understood by 
all and must have a definite objective. Second, the operation 
of the theater must be divided into departments, with clearly 
defined obligations. Third, each department head must be a 
man who is expert in his work. Fourth, the manager must 
understand the requirements of all departments. This does 
not mean that he need have expert knowledge of all depart- 
ments, because, after all, he is to officiate as chief executive; 
but he must know what to expect from his department heads, 
in order to have the fullest understanding of what they accom- 
plish. Otherwise, he cannot measure results. He must coor- 
dinate the departments so that they function smoothly. 

The only barometer of the business of operating a theater 
is in figures. Figures of the present must be compared with 
those of the past, to determine what progress is being made. 
Expense and income should be estimated, and against these 
the actual results should be measured. Managers must know 
whether the theater is marking time or forging ahead. The 
writer has known of situations in well-known theaters where 
aggressive management has increased the attendance consider- 



DEPARTMENTS AND FUNCTIONS 



51 



ably, yet has resulted in smaller earnings. Careful comparison 
with previous periods detected those items whose expenses 
were increased, and through careful study and application the 
condition was improved. Such a solution would have been 
impossible without the special statistics offered by efficient 
departmentalization. 



CHAPTER V 



Personnel and Inspections 

IF management could forecast any situation that might 
arise, if employees were always doing the right things at 
the right time, and if instructions once given were always 
followed out to the letter, the ideal theater would be with us. 
Is it necessary to point out that such conditions do not pre- 
vail? Standards, ideal though they be, are at the mercy of 
human performance. Policies are mere blueprints till the hand 
of man executes them. And since man is at least fallible, and 
often careless and negligent, the price of good management, 
like the price of liberty, is eternal vigilance. Hence the need 
of supervision; and hence the equal necessity of inspection. 

Now, inspection has many ends, but three of them are 
preeminent. In the first place, it is one of the many instru- 
ments whereby the management serves the public. That the 
public is unaware of what goes on behind the scenes is beside 
the point. Patrons who attend a performance derive subtle 
pleasure from prompt service ; prompt service means that every 
one and everything is in place on time; and this readiness of 
the organization to handle every detail is possible only when 
accurate survey has made sure that every detail is as it should 
be. In the second place, periodic inspection is management's 
most important check on organization. Seeing is sometimes 
more than believing ; it is knowing. An employer has the right 
to know whether or not his plans are being put to effective 
realization. He cannot check up on the relation of standards 
to performance without examining the latter upon the basis 
of the former. If scrutiny proves that all is well, there is 
every reason for confidence in the outcome. If there are short- 
comings, there is opportunity to correct and to perfect. For 

the director, inspection is perpetual inventory of a valuable 

52 



PERSONNEL AND INSPECTIONS 53 



stock — the means and measures which retain good will. 
Thirdly and lastly, the effect upon employees is to develop 
an alert discipline. Knowing that they are under the eyes of 
superiors, knowing that at stated intervals they are responsi- 
ble for certain duties, and at all times liable to review for 
others, they react in two immensely beneficial ways. One is 
that they are ever mindful of what they are expected to do. 
The other is that they are aware of an opportunity to prove 
their worth by doing it. In the same two ways, a soldier is 
held to duty and is afforded the occasion to demonstrate his 
loyalty and his fitness. 

Although all these aims tend to the one end of winning 
patronage, they are diverse in that they apply differently to 
public, to management, and to attaches. Therefore the atti- 
tude of management must be to approach inspection with all 
elements in mind. Since the patron is the determining cri- 
terion, it will be necessary to impress upon each employee that 
the part he plays, though subordinate, is important in its place ; 
and that inspection is in some measure intended to help him 
look, and be, and do his best. It will assist him to remember 
that service is to be unobtrusive because it is perfect; that a 
neat uniform is pleasing, but that stains and other irregularities 
are seized upon for comment. 

Then again, the supervisor should so behave during inspec- 
tions as to emphasize the best possible relations between man- 
agement and personnel. Petty nagging or easy-going indul- 
gence are equally disorganizing. Employees are inspired by 
any evidence that inspections are dictated by a vital policy to 
please, and not as a measure of repression. They do not ob- 
ject to being held up to a real standard reflected in the manner 
and tone of the inspecting official. When he shows pride and 
interest, they are caught up in his enthusiasm ; when his reac- 
tion is disappointment, they feel their failure keenly. They 
recognize in him, not the spy, but the leader. And if they 
are animated by a fine desire to rise in the ranks, they will 
strive, not merely to please him, but to emulate the spirit that 
makes him a leader by right. No matter how high the stand- 
ards, no matter how exacting the demands, good leadership will 



54 MOTION PICTURE THEATER MANAGEMENT 



never be resented. It will rather be met with ready response. 

As for the inspections themselves, there are of course two 
fields requiring them — personnel and plant. For the sake of 
clearness, let us consider them in order; and since I have em- 
phasized personnel so far, I will begin with that. 

Every first-class theater should have regulations covering 
dress and appearance of employees who come in contact with 
the patrons. Such rules should not be left to rumor or hearsay. 
They should be precise and invariable, and passed on from 
superior to subordinate distinctly enough to leave no room for 
infraction. As a matter of fact they should be printed, or at 
least put in black and white in some form. This will indicate 
that the management, having gone out of its way in the desire 
not to be mistaken, means business and will tolerate no laxity. 
Cold type commands respect because of its permanence, and 
obviates error because it provides opportunity for reference 
in case of doubt. At any rate, whatever the form of instruc- 
tions, these should be such as to prepare for efficient inspections 
by laying a groundwork of complete understanding of what 
will be demanded. 

Uniforms are furnished, cleaned and pressed. Management 
has a right to expect that cleanliness be carried out to the last 
touch. This means that shoes are shined, and that personal 
hygiene and manicuring are not neglected. Very often, uni- 
forms are consciously designed to conform with the decorative 
scheme of the interior. The time and energy and money in- 
volved in an effort of this sort are wasted if the trousers are 
allowed to go baggy, or the hands and face are grimy, or the 
hair is unkempt. There should be no hesitancy in informing 
employees along these lines. 

Inspection of the uniformed service by the assistant or the 
captain should be made part of the routine of the day. Every 
group of employees is subject to scrutiny before going to post. 
The fixing of a definite time is of immense importance. Em- 
ployees feel that if the management thinks enough of the event 
to put it on the day's calendar, they themselves had better be 
entirely ready for review. To increase this impression, the 
inspector should go through the details of his survey in a oer- 



PERSONNEL AND INSPECTIONS 



55 



tain fixed order, with military-like thoroughness. This pro- 
cedure is not merely impressive, but thorough and quick, to 
boot. It is likely to prompt the feeling, moreover, that the 
inspection is not so much personal as it is related to a high 
standard and a determined policy. 

It must be further driven home that the observation of the 
inspecting official is decidedly not the end of the matter. An 
adequate report should be submitted after each review, and 
the fact that reports are rendered should be a matter of com- 
mon knowledge. Figure 2 is an inspection report which is 
filled out four times daily by the house or assistant manager, 
and provides a bird's-eye view of the inspection of the entire 
theater. Thus the management has constant measure of the 
efficiency of several departments. 

So much for the periodic, stated inspections. These, as we 
have seen, have their obvious benefits. Equally obvious, of 
course, would be the unfortunate impression that employees 
are scrutinized at certain times and not at others. Such must 
never be the case. That the staff shall look spick and span 
when lined up for duty, is expected, although it is not taken 
for granted. The test that counts, however, is how they stand 
on the job. Every individual should feel that he is constantly 
on inspection. In that way "service" becomes a habit. The 
manager should therefore make the rounds of his staff at in- 
tervals when it is under pressure. It is then that they show 
whether they are living up to the standards or not. In so far 
as they fail, they bring the manager face to face, not merely 
with the needs of further drill, but sometimes with many prob- 
lems of operation. For instance, an usher disheveled and per- 
spiring from running excitedly up and down the aisles, may 
indicate that the whole mechanism of reception requires over- 
hauling. 

To sum up, inspection of personnel is a function that oper- 
ates every moment of the business day, since at every moment 
there is going on the final, important, though casual inspection 
by the patrons. Therefore every executive of the theater is in 
a sense an inspector. Since it is the impression that a theater 
makes on a patron that causes him to come again or to stay 



PUBLIX THEATRES CORPORATlON- 

DAJLY INSPECTION AND OPERATION REPORT THEATRE- 



TIME 










i 




( 




1 




- 








... 

TEMPERATURES < WET 








































































I 










GENERAL APPEASABLE H 






5ICNS a flash ers 


















CUTOUT*. FRAMES 9 












= 


GENERAL APPtARArtCE 






lights * rrrryBfj 


1 


BOX OFFICE 






0! SPLAY FRAUSS j| 






tQO 1 ?- .•fcmvtv™. />^P-. MR i! 






FLOORS 






«LU j 






FEHSOKHEL I 






1 

I 
\ 


GENERAL APTEASAKC5 8 






LKHTS S EXIT LKTHTS. 


1 




EXIT BOORS & PASSA«S3 
















OKCKtsniA pit a personnel 








floors 








WALLS 








vixen lattor. 
















I 
I 


DEWCIUTKWI 


h 








6EHERAL APPEARAJICE 












LKSKTf • MANORJWU 














■TEW 


























I 

; 


SEN ERA L APPEARANCE 






uckts a txrr uchts. 






EXIT DOORS « MdSMES 






EQUIPMENT 5?e£i. PVr*_ l>-r^*i «ss£i«fer]j 






FLOORS 






WAwLS S 






VENTILATION 








PERSON* EL 




-AO 








i 


















VEMTILATiOH . CDCSS 












































i 












FLOORS 




























SEN EPAL APPEARANCE 




























55S 1 1 t —i 








i 


EOUiPUE^T * PEPSCKKEL 










■ 




































BASEMEMT 






rco^ s«:*feiL^ con omen 




— H 


MA*ACe*4 OFFICE 








ftKEKAl BEMAJ5KS 














I 
f 


«sn«HSCMe>rra ug 

vntt 

lf<OTf 'MA3OM0 rea 
«5H iduli VAMvnaan on 
ftJVtfWIStPS 






























— h- 
























































































































































! 
















- i 




















— f— 

































eiRcar asooJitts akp othbi unvsu«t oc«wnReNC«» on sack or *taff »h«t 



FIGURE 2 

Inspection Report 



PERSONNEL AND INSPECTIONS 57 



away, the conduct of the entire staff, right down from the man- 
ager to the page boy, should be a shining reflection of the wish 
to please and to serve. Hence it is indispensable that execu- 
tives, circulating through lobby and theater, should provide 
employees with a model of demeanor — an appearance and a 
conduct that will embody the standards according to which 
inspections are made. In relations with the public, executives 
should accordingly evince the proper blend of solicitude, dignity, 
and unobtrusive efficiency. 

This leads to a reverse consideration of inspection, but one 
justifiably connected with and arising from it. Progressive 
management invites constructive criticism and is glad to re- 
ceive suggestions from employees. In fact, many organiza- 
tions pay small sums to members of the uniformed staff for 
suggestions that are adopted. While every idea cannot be 
accepted, each should be given careful consideration. There 
is thus developed a widespread feeling of interest. Further- 
more, the manager is often thus informed of many points of 
interest. Complaints, likewise, should be carefully investi- 
gated, and those who register them be welcomed, for thus 
arises the investigation that may result in remedy. 

Before passing from personnel inspection to that of plant, I 
would like to dwell briefly on a consideration that shares the 
features of both — projection. This is of great importance, 
since it is largely in projection that the motion picture theater 
has its character. The conduct of the booth is reported daily 
to the management by the chief operator. Furthermore, every 
captain or floor-manager must report any projection mishap 
that is apparent to the patron. 

Now for inspection of the plant. A shrewd observer has 
pointed out that the public is attracted to splendid edifices 
partly by a longing to indulge, however briefly and fractionally, 
in the luxury of the surroundings. History records that 
though the ancient Greeks lived in very sordid hovels, their 
temples, theaters, and places of public meeting generally were, 
and in their ruins still are, among the noblest products of the 
race. Without intending any contemporary comparisons, one 
may safely assume that when people leave their homes in 



58 MOTION PICTURE THEATER MANAGEMENT 



search of pleasure, they are looking for something better than 
what they leave — more space, greater variety, greater enter- 
tainment. Particularly the average householder and his wife 
are in quest of a good time in a place which, if anything, is 
superior to the routine to which they are accustomed. And 
certainly the model housewife will be impressed by a standard 
maintained as constantly as her own. 

The physical condition of the plant is of prime significance. 
Every nook and corner should be thoroughly clean from the 
cellar to the garret, if there is one. Portions never glimpsed 
by the patron's eye should present as scrupulous an aspect as 
that of the auditorium, the lobbies, and the other public rooms. 
High standards here can be maintained only through frequent 
inspections by an executive charged with that responsibility. 
Locker and dressing rooms throughout the theater should be 
subjected to a survey at least once a week. 

It stands to reason that where thousands of people may be 
entering, leaving and moving about in the course of a few 
hours, there will be dirt of some sort. Carpets are tracked 
with footprints and marble or tile surfaces soon show the 
marks of use. This will happen with the finest patrons, in the 
best of weather conditions. In addition, there is an irreduci- 
ble minimum of careless folk, especially when they are dealing 
with property not their own, who are simply incapable of re- 
fraining from casting papers and candy wrappers where such 
things do not belong. Sweaty or sticky hands leave smudges 
on polished surfaces. For all these reasons, it is not enough 
to have a porter or porters make frequent, periodical rounds. 
There should be inspections of equal frequency. Two pairs 
of eyes are better than one — and sometimes the executive is 
blessed with the acuter eyesight! 

For it is easy to become accustomed to an unsatisfactory 
condition, unless established routine sets up a counterbalancing, 
chronic dissatisfaction with dirt. The danger of uncleanliness 
is like the danger of freezing — first you don't notice, then you 
don't care, and finally you don't know. Others do, however; 
so investigation is important if management is to become 
aware of conditions. Better still, it keeps the cleaner on the 



PERSONNEL AND INSPECTIONS 



59 



job, and conditions do not arise. There is a consideration of 
economy, naturally; since it is well known that things, like 
teeth, are less likely to wear out when they are kept ship-shape. 
Cleanliness is a habit, and may be acquired. It is a check 
against carelessness and inefficiency; and of course, employees 
will exert their efforts more energetically if they know they 
are being watched by one in authority. Inspection results in 
the better care of property and equipment. 

When the formal inspection is made, either the house- 
keeper or the engineer should accompany the inspector in the 
sections for which she or he is responsible. Criticisms made 
under such auspices are naturally of greater force than those 
removed from the scene. And the force is what carries them 
along the line. In order that the impression may not pass with 
the incident, there must be reports, written reports, stating 
conditions in detail, with special copies for the manager and 
for the housekeeper or the engineer. Such a form should have 
place for comment on general cleanliness and neatness, on 
accumulation of unnecessary materials, on ventilation, and on 
heating. Accidents, or unusual occurrences of any sort, should 
be reported to the management, in writing, promptly. 

Great executives, among other things, are great teachers. 
They take raw newcomers and instruct them in the science of 
the business and the art of the trade. You can't do this over 
night, or in any brief period, and get perfection. Even a high 
percentage of excellence requires time to form habits and to 
add new touches to the first lesson. Printed manuals and de- 
partment meetings provide opportunity for extended teaching. 
But the best chance of all comes when the teaching and the 
learning go hand in hand with the doing. All the lectures in 
the world won't get a porter to know his job half so well as the 
right kind of comment while he's doing it. So, too, a word of 
praise or censure at the time of physical scrutiny, will do won- 
ders in teaching an usher neatness — especially when the com- 
ment may be again occasioned — and repeatedly. You get 
nothing in this life for nothing. If you want a morale that 
will hold your force together and propel it in the right direc- 
tion, let the person inspected feel that you are making a demand 



60 MOTION PICTURE THEATER MANAGEMENT 



because you are communicating an ideal and giving a lesson. 
The ideal is service to the patrons of the house. The lesson 
is one in obtaining and retaining their good will. And the 
only sure way of maintaining the one and teaching the other 
is inspection — and inspection — and more inspection! 



CHAPTER VI 



Safety 

THE first obligation of an institution that houses the pub- 
lic is the protection of persons, the second, the protec- 
tion of property. In either respect, a modern theater 
is extremely safe. It is almost impossible to erect anything but 
a strictly fire-proof building in any worthwhile town or city. 
State and municipal regulations prescribe the type of con- 
struction, the number of exits, the widths of aisles and alleys, 
the dimensions of seat placement, the number of stairways, 
and practically every other safeguard that has been thought of. 
It is safe to assume that no securer type of building exists for 
public gatherings. 

Permits are issued to theaters each year, and then only after 
the fire, police, health, building, and other departments have 
approved the license. In addition, these departments make 
frequent inspections for violations. To the credit of most 
managers, causes for violations are infrequent, and indeed of 
very rare occurrence. The percentage of theater fires is ex- 
ceedingly small; and those that occur in modern plants are 
usually avoidable. 

Therefore the danger of fire, and the associated menace of 
panic, have been eliminated in the well-conducted modern 
theater. Frequent fire drills among the operating staff pre- 
pare them for emptying the house rapidly and for handling 
crowds in an emergency. On page 64 is a set of regulations 
which illustrates a plan of drill that may be adopted. It is 
important to point out, however, that written regulations do 
not take the place of a drill. 

In preparing a set of rules, the manager should not make 
them up out of his head. He should first find out what is done 
elsewhere, should apply the information thus obtained to the 
conditions at hand, and should by all means confer with expert 
opinion available at the local fire house. The rules themselves 

61 



62 MOTION PICTURE THEATER MANAGEMENT 



should be simple and brief and should be posted where em- 
ployees can see them. New employees should be instructed in 
them as part of the initiation to beginning work. The man- 
agement must then establish a system of drill at regular inter- 
vals, with follow-up inspections. Laxity in this respect is 
unforgivable. The public wants safety, not excuses. 



MANAGER'S SEMI-MONTHLY FIRE AND SAFETY REPORT 

The safety of every patron requires your strictest observance of every point covered in this report 



Theatre. 
Date__ 



OTHER INSPECTIONS 



Sprinkler Valve* 




Fire Eacape* 




Fire Curtain, Stage 




Attic 




Stags, Vent 




Plenum Chamber 




Fire Pump 




Areawaya 








Engine and 

Baaernent Rooms 








Fire Drill, When Held 





Not* condition of Carpets, Stepping*, Aiale Lights, Down Spout*, etc. 



t hare personally made the inspections and find the conditions noted above. 



FIGURE 3 

Fire and Safety Report 

The same scrupulous vigilance will tend to do away with 
ordinary accidents. Where up-to-date methods of inspection 
are in operation, these should generally not occur. Marble or 
tile floors should be dried immediately after wetting. Any un- 
toward occurrence, such as a rip in carpet or a burnt-out bulb 
on a staircase should be reported and attended to at once. The 
habit of prompt repair, when it is advisable, like the habit of 
cleanliness, is one that may be acquired by employees. In ad- 
dition to the economy that results from maintaining equip- 
ment in perfect condition there is the incalculable advantage of 
getting at the accident before it occurs. 



SAFETY 



63 



Should there, however, be any mishap, it is invaluable to 
have a first-aid room. The patron concerned is made to rec- 
ognize the solicitude and the preparedness of the organization, 
and other patrons may continue to enjoy the performance un- 
disturbed and even unaware, Another advantage of such 
service is that, in a place where so many people congregate, it 
is absolutely inevitable that some one or other will occasionally 
be taken ill. Of course, the unfortunate occurrence has noth- 
ing to do with attendance at the performance. A large theater 
contains the equivalent of the population of a small city every 
day; and it is rather to be expected that, of such a number, 
some few are always liable to ailments. Perhaps there will be 
a woman subject to fainting or dizzy spells. The writer has 
known of instances when sudden illness in the theater indicated 
that convalescents have left their beds too soon. 

Regardless of the cause, the service is at hand. Where the 
theater is large enough, a professional nurse is always in at- 
tendance, and there is a house physician who can be obtained 
in case of serious emergency. Although it is true that the per- 
centage of patrons taken ill is small, the considerateness of 
the management always makes an impression. As a matter 
of fact, it is probable that patrons are a little more likely to 
comment upon such occurrences, and to render high praise, 
than upon the regular features of the theater, which they are 
perhaps accustomed to take for granted. 

The same service, naturally, takes care of employees; and 
no one who has heard workers praise employers for provid- 
ing emergency treatment can have any doubt of the enormous 
advantages toward publicity as well as morale. Of course, 
most theater employees do not come in contact with physical 
danger. Sickness and accidents have been reduced to a mini- 
mum, with beneficial results in many directions. There are 
fewer losses for insurance companies. Premiums are accord- 
ingly reduced. The number of absences is very low. The 
working staff is more evenly efficient. 

The workman compensation laws, now effective in forty 
states of the Union, are of benefit to employer and employees 
alike. Insurance companies, in addition, have rendered a val- 



64i MOTION PICTURE THEATER MANAGEMENT 

uable service in helping to make working places safe. They 
have established protective devices that minimize accidents, es- 
pecially for those who are engaged at tasks in mechanical 
departments, in the projection room and on the stage. 

REGULATIONS IN RELATION TO FIRE DRILL 

These regulations have been prepared, not with the thought that 
they are complete or that these instructions can be followed at 
all times and under all circumstances, but with the thought that 
there may be in it helpful suggestions and that as a result you may 
find yourselves better prepared to meet the emergency of a theater 
fire when it arises. 

This bulletin should be read and studied carefully by all em- 
ployees in the theater. 

1. No matter what the circumstances, first call the Fire De- 
partment, preferably by using the fire alarm box rather than the 
telephone and if the box is not in the theater, stay at the box until 
the Fire Department arrives so as to direct them to the scene of 
the fire. (If there is no fire alarm box on the stage, it is often 
possible to arrange with the Fire Chief to have one installed at 
little or no cost if you can show him the importance of this device. 
If there is no fire alarm box on the stage a sign should be posted 
in the box office indicating the location of the nearest fire alarm 
box. All employees should be instructed as to its location.) 

2. Where practical, a code signal transmitted by turning on and 
off the exit lights would appear to be the best method of advising 
the ushers and all other employees of a fire. It may not always 
be possible to do this in which case some other simple means may 
be devised which will not alarm the audience. 

3. Ushers and other employees should be drilled and instructed 
as to what to do in case of fire. Have the ushers open all of the 
exit doors and direct the patrons toward these doors for there is 
a natural tendency on the part of audiences to leave by the same 
route as that through which they entered and it will be necessary 
to counteract this tendency in order to get the house emptied 
quickly. 

4. This all points to the vital importance of having your 
exits clear. Exit doors should open easily and operate properly, 
fire escapes and exits should be clear of any foreign material and 
kept free of ice and snow in the winter and the inspection of exits 
should be followed through to the street to be sure there are no 
obstructions, doors or gates which you have overlooked. 

5. The performance should be kept going, whether pictures, 
vaudeville or music. 



SAFETY 



65 



6. The audience may be in real danger and it is essential that 
the house be emptied quickly and that the patrons be given no 
false sense of security. 

7. It is most essential that a thorough search of the theater be 
made after the audience has left, to be sure that no persons are left 
behind. This search should include all out-of-the-way places, 
especially rest rooms, stage dressing rooms, basements, etc. 

8. During the fire, cooperate with the Fire Department as far 
as possible as they will not be as familiar with the theater as you. 
You may enable them to locate the fire quickly, to get to inac- 
cessible parts of the building, to avoid useless water damage and 
to point out to them the property particularly susceptible to water 
damage such as organs, consoles, switchboards, etc. 

9. After the fire, make every effort to prevent further damage. 
It may be necessary to remove damageable material from the 
theater, to put on a temporary portion of the roof, use tarpaulin, 
to pump out or mop parts of the building, etc. The cost of all 
of this work is covered by insurance policies, but should be done 
anyway, for protection. Do not consider that it is necessary to 
leave the building untouched until the insurance companies have 
had an opportunity to make an inspection. This is a popular mis- 
understanding and is not correct. The insured is required to act 
as though there is no insurance, taking care of property as far as 
is possible, except of course, preserving as far as is reasonable, 
any evidence as to the cause of fire or extent of damage. 

10. Fire should be reported immediately to the manager's office. 

11. It is needless to add this last and most important precau- 
tion "keep cool." 

Apart from humanitarian considerations, the sensible 
executive is interested in employment health for sound eco- 
nomic reasons. Every illness is an impairment of organiza- 
tion, a leak in the flow of human energy — a waste. Multiplied 
on a large scale, such things show up in dollars and cents. 
Prevented, they bring fewer losses. Hence the value of pre- 
vention. In well-operated theaters the staff employees should 
be examined periodically for the detection of communicable 
or other diseases, as a safeguard to themselves, to the man- 
agement and, above all, to the public. Furthermore a certificate 
of health should be a rigid requirement of employment. Such 
certifications may be had free of charge at clinics, or after 
examination by private physician. 

Group health insurance is an excellent arrangement for 



66 MOTION PICTURE THEATER MANAGEMENT 



stabilizing a certain type of labor. Most of the important 
companies offer attractive plans for insuring employees in a 
body, without the requirement of medical examination. The 
rates are very attractive, so that the cost to management is 
little indeed. The advantage to employees is incalculable, and 
the resultant effect is to tone up the esprit de corps. 

The public is entitled to all these measures in its behalf. 
Law demands it, people expect it, and simple humanity re- 
quires it. Although it is true that patrons are very little aware 
of the complex and manifold measures taken for their security, 
they are subconsciously aware of the security itself — or of its 
absence — and they are likely to react accordingly. The simple 
sight of a fire ax or a numbered exit seems to receive hardly 
a glance, so habituated have we become to them. Yet that 
absent-minded glance ties up the object with a fundamental, 
if deeply buried, confidence. Confidence! There's the magic 
word! There's the thing that increases in value, in propor- 
tion as it becomes a part of the patron's attitude. The pro- 
tector is not merely trusted. He is admired and respected. He 
has laid the basis for getting himself liked. 

If modern psychologists are leading us aright, the moving 
picture patron is more than a person who wants a good seat at 
a good show. True, he is aware of these desires. In addition, 
however, he is more subtly in need of delightful surround- 
ings, and of service upon which enjoyment runs smooth. 
Then, deep down in his basic nature, there lie the resentments, 
the affections, the fears, the trusts which he carries into the 
theater because nature makes him carry them everywhere. 
Capture every part of him but this, and you still have to win 
him. Repel him here, and you will probably lose him for good. 
Poor policy neglects to show him or overdoes showing him 
that he is being protected. The best system is to carry out 
what law, business, and humaneness dictate. In his seemingly 
unobservant way, he will observe as much as he needs. He 
will come again, and one of the obscurer holds upon his good 
will will be won for brainy management. 



CHAPTER VII 



House Management 

THE larger relations of manager and public were taken 
up in Chapter III; and in Chapters IV, V, and VI 
there was explained the general background of prepa- 
ration. The present chapter will be devoted rather to present- 
ing some of the actual details of the contact. 

There are usually four individuals who deal with the patrons 
directly. These are the house manager, the girl in the ticket 
office, the doorman, and the telephone operator. Upon these, 
and upon the ushers (whose function will be discussed later), 
falls the responsibility of maintaining the standard of the 
house as a human institution. The most spacious auditorium 
will seem empty without a touch of guidance. The most 
radiant decorations are cold without the presence of a warming 
smile. A theater is never so much a building as it is a gath- 
ering of people. Furthermore, it is no house of detention. 
Apart from average good behavior as it is practiced every- 
where, patronage owes management nothing. The shoe is on 
the other foot ; or to put the matter in plain business terms, the 
factor of demand is never to be taken for granted. Even 
when there is no rival house to-day, there may be one to- 
morrow. 

The four representatives selected for mention above are sig- 
nificant in an individual manner. Not only is it true that most 
of their dealings are carried on with individuals, but they 
themselves are outstandingly individual. Therefore whatever 
applies to other attaches in a group, and so in a less partic- 
ular fashion, applies to these to a greater degree, and in more 
clear-cut lines. This is especially so since we are speaking 
now of the front of the theater, where the patron's first con- 
tacts are made. From the moment he or she purchases a ticket 

67 



68 MOTION PICTURE THEATER MANAGEMENT 



at the box office, a guest has arrived, and every service of the 
theater should spell welcome. Patrons loosen up and respond 
with appreciation to the spirit of hospitality. To create this 
feeling is the delicate duty of every one whose name is down 
on the payroll. 

Foremost on this reception committee is the House Man- 
ager. In smaller theaters, where various tasks may have to 
be combined, he may unite the duties of floor manager and 
captain. As house manager, he is the chief host. He must 
therefore embody the theater in human form. He must be 
of good appearance and excellent dress, of tact, of refinement, 
and of mature but ready judgment. Patrons do not analyze 
these qualities, of course, they have neither the inclination nor 
the time. Yet, just as the little noted fire apparatus inspires 
a deep sense of security, and just as the evidence of scrupulous 
cleanliness provides a certain pleasure, a man's externals and 
manner may arouse unquestioning respect in those that hurry 
past him, or exchange but a word of greeting or question. 
Such a presence tends, not only to obviate disorder by over- 
awing it, but to create a model for behavior in a positive way, 
and among those who are themselves self-respecting, estab- 
lishes a very important bond of kinship. By a convincing man- 
ner, an easy graciousness, and a genuine desire to please, the 
House Manager can make many friends for the theater. 

Since this is precisely his chief value to the organization, he 
should make it his business to know the important people in 
his community. He should go out of his way to meet them 
personally and to greet them by name. No one is so great 
that he or she does not enjoy a personal interest evinced in 
this form. Of course, the point here is not merely to secure 
the business of individuals, but to obtain also the patronage of 
their lesser associates and admirers. The sort of keynote 
persons I refer to would be the city officials; the heads of local 
organizations, such as Rotary, Kiwanis, the business and pro- 
fessional associations, and the women's clubs; and very im- 
portant indeed, the representatives of the press. 

So much for the social activities of the house manager. 
He has, likewise, his function in routine. He must be de- 



HOUSE MANAGEMENT 



69 



pendable; his loyalty to the management can bear no ques- 
tion. In relation to his subordinates, he must be an executive. 
He cannot carry the house single-handed. His success will be 
measured by his ability to secure from the employees the 
greatest measure of efficiency and to develop the proper cooper- 
ative spirit. He should accordingly endeavor, for the most 
part, to achieve his results through suggestion and request 
rather than by assertion of authority. The work of the house 
staff is often carried on under conditions of rush and stress 
that require the preservation of good nature and a willingness 
to cooperate. Management looks to the house manager for 
the cultivation of such a spirit. 

He is fully responsible for every employee assigned to his 
department. This refers to the conduct of that employee in 
the performance of duty, as well as to the routine observa- 
tion of regulations. He furthermore allots duties, arranges 
the hours and the remuneration established by management, 
prescribes dress, manner, and tone of conversation, and gives 
instructions as to tasks and following up. He approves time 
records, controls discipline, handles employment, promotion 
and, when necessary, dismissal. He commends new hands 
as to type, training and supervision. He passes on any lapse 
of courtesy and efficiency. Above all, he sees to it that the 
policies and standards of the theater are maintained. He does 
this in various ways; first, by selecting applicants who use 
good English, and who have refinement of appearance, dis- 
position, manner, and attitude; second, by instructing them in 
detail and without waste of time in their specific duties and 
their relationship to the organization ; third, by constant super- 
vision and regular inspections; fourth, by providing the best 
model, in himself, of what the theater wants; and last, by 
exercising to the utmost the social graces and winning per- 
sonality referred to above. 

If the house manager is the foremost of the reception com- 
mittee, the girl in the box office is usually the first. She must 
be truly interested in pleasing patrons. Each of them should 
leave the box office with the satisfied glow of a cordial wel- 
come. The operation of purchasing a ticket is the work of a 



70 MOTION PICTURE THEATER MANAGEMENT 



moment ; yet in that brief flash of time it is possible to receive 
an impression. Naturally, that impression should be an agree- 
able one. When it is, it serves as a breaking of the ice, a pre- 
liminary characterization of the whole evening's entertain- 
ment. Furthermore, although the welcome is momentary, 
it may be composite — made of many elements. The girl's ap- 
pearance and dress, her voice and her speech, her glance and 
her manner are included in the single act her duty calls for; 
and though these may require many words to describe, they 
take only a moment to recognize. What makes this possible, 
of course, is not the details I have mentioned, but the cor- 
diality that animates them and gives them meaning. 

Particular effort should be made to please women patrons, 
and special care should be exercised in catering to them. No 
one needs to be reminded, I hope, at this late date, that an 
enterprise depending on public contacts rises or falls in measure 
as it attracts the ladies. The feminine interest in beauty and 
romance is one of the open secrets of the success of the arts. 
In addition, women have an inherent gift and an innate desire 
for the exercise of all the little social graces. When an excel- 
lent performance is served up to them with an accompaniment 
of smiles and charming greetings, they readily identify the 
theater with the enjoyment, and they tend to come again. 
Wherever they go alone in public they are gratefully respon- 
sive to the cordiality of other women; a touch of the wel- 
coming feminine seems to give confidence and make them 
feel at home. Most men, for example, will eat in any restau- 
rant that will supply the immediate appetite acceptably; most 
women are as much interested in the environment and the 
appointments as in the cuisine. And whereas men are likely 
to take things in the bulk, so to speak, women are observant 
of details. Their unaccompanied patronage of the moving 
picture theater is in itself no slight item. Multiply this by 
escorts, friends, and families, and you can see why the girl 
in the box office should go out of her way to be nice to her 
sisters. 

Some elderly women, to take a special type of case, are a 
little bewildered by a ticket office of any kind. The act of 



HOUSE MANAGEMENT 



71 



opening a purse at the window seems to bother them, and they 
are quite distressed over keeping track of change when they 
are hurried. With a deft touch or two — the proper modula- 
tion of the voice or glance of the eyes — a young girl can make 
such a person feel extraordinarily relieved and easy. Then 
the frown gives way to a smile that beams all the way from the 
box office to the seat, and from that performance to the next. 
So too with children or with those souls of either sex or any 
age who are likely to be easily embarrassed or diffident. Put 
them at their ease, make them feel good, and they'll come back 
of their own accord, and bring others with them. All this 
for the price of a cheerful glance and an unexpected "Thank 
you !" 

It may be necessary to explain these things to the girl when 
she takes the job. But the right sort of girl doesn't have to be 
told much of this sort of thing. She not merely understands 
the necessity — she likes the idea. She wants the exchange of 
smiles. She's a woman herself. The stimulation of good- 
uatured greetings enlivens the performance of her routine 
duties. 

Among these, the most important is that she is accountable 
for tickets charged against her shift by the house manager. 
The tickets are numbered, and are sold through automatic 
registering machines. Thus, there are two checks made at 
change of shifts — the numbering of the tickets as well as the 
numbering by the machine. She should be thoroughly familiar 
with seat locations, with range of prices, and with conditions 
of attendance and times of performance. She cashes refund 
slips when any such are issued by house manager, but she does 
not cash checks. As a matter of fact, aside from giving 
change, she surrenders cash only on the receipt of properly 
authorized vouchers. She balances her cash at the end of the 
shift, in a book provided for the purpose, and makes a nota- 
tion of the balance over or under. She is responsible for her 
cash, and liable for all losses through mistakes or failure to 
carry out instructions. Itemized listing on proper form ac- 
companies the closing of the box office. (See Figure 4,) 

The Doorman, in his turn, should greet the patron in a 



72 MOTION PICTURE THEATER MANAGEMENT 



friendly manner. Unless he does, he nullifies the advantage 
gained by the box office. Although it is distracting for him in 



WTDBMATKW REQUESTED ON THIS FORM MUST BE FILLED IN 



DAILY BOS OFFICE STATEMENT 

PICTURE THEATRE 



Theatre 



PICTURES PLAYED— TITLE AND MAKE 


EXPLANATION WHY PICTURES BOOKED 
WERE NOT SHOWN 












(WHEN HISS-OUT-ATTACH MISS-OUT aCTOBT) 



OPPOSITION 



MATINEE 


1 


a 

H 


NIGHT 


Total No. 
Tickets 
Sold 


Ooeing No. 


Opening No. 


Sold 


Net 
Receipts 


War Tax 


Closing 
No. 


Opening 
No. 


Sold 


Net 
Receipts 


War Tax 






































































































































































































































































Passes 


























TOTALS 



























RECAPITULATION 



Net Hatbea Receipts 
Net Night Receipts • 

TOTALS . . 
Tax . ...... 

Miscellaneous • • • 
Slide Advertising • - 
Co. SI 



Deposit 



Attendance.. 
Attendance. 



FIGURE 4 

Box Office Statement 



moments of peak load, to see that the number of tickets corre- 
sponds with the number of those entering, nevertheless the 
press of duty should not be sufficient to destroy his poise com- 



HOUSE MANAGEMENT 



73 



pletely. Indeed, his equability should be constant, so that it 
may become contagious : people who have been crowded and 
perhaps jostled in a popular lobby are made themselves again 
by the sight of a calm, easy expression on the face of the very 
man they might reasonably expect to see upset. Passing under 
his quiet glance, and returning his good-humored nod, they 
are restored to balance, or at least more agreeably settled in it. 
A contributive element to this bit of practical psychology is his 
appearance. He should be well groomed in official uniform. 
He should always wear white gloves. Another factor, to in- 
sure the unobtrusiveness of his service, is that he should never 
address a patron except in answer to a question. In his reply, 
he should give special attention to his manner, tone, and lan- 
guage, characterizing these with an attitude of cordial help- 
fulness. He must be courteous and affable. 

His place in routine is to perform certain tasks with exact 
observance of instructions. He sees to it, primarily, that no 
one enters the theater without a ticket. Tickets are torn in 
two. One half is returned to the patron for purposes of 
identification ; the other is placed in the ticket chopper for rec- 
ord. The doorman must not himself retain any part of the 
pasteboard, but must comply with the above directions imme- 
diately after cancellation. 

These are his positive duties. Since they are of extreme 
importance, nothing must interfere with his performance of 
them. He must accordingly take no further obligations upon 
himself. When he is requested to do anything outside his 
routine, he can respectfully refer the patron to the proper 
official, or make use of the page boys for the purpose. For 
example, passes must be exchanged for pass tickets at the 
box office. The Doorman exercises no jurisdiction here, nor 
is he to make refunds. In the event that a patron desires a 
refund, recourse should be had, by page boy, to the House 
Manager, who issues the desired slip which is then cashed 
at the box office. Similarly, complaints must be referred to 
the House Manager or to his assistant, again by use of the 
page. Where no outside entrance for the business office is 



74 MOTION PICTURE THEATER MANAGEMENT 

provided, telegrams, mail, and other communications are di- 
rected to the box office. 

Cards of callers for officials are forwarded to the latter by 
page. The Doorman must know the names of all executives, 
in order to be able to serve those in search of general informa- 
tion as well as those who wish to see a specific person. All 
such callers are politely requested to wait in the lobby until 
the return of the page boy, and must not be directed to offices 
until the page comes back. If the desired person happens to 
be out, the caller should be asked whether any one else may 
be of service. If so, the invariable procedure is repeated until 
some satisfactory arrangement is arrived at. When any pa- 
tron asks for the manager, the Doorman sees to it that the 
House or Floor Manager is reached immediately. 

In the matter of admitting employees, it is no doubt best 
to have a special entrance for them. Where such a provision 
is impossible, a weekly employee's pass must be presented. 
Of course, it is a good thing to have the Doorman as fully 
acquainted as possible with other attaches; but it stands to 
reason that the pass system is the best all round. 

The Telephone Operator should obviously be chosen for 
agreeable voice, pleasant disposition, and nimble intelligence. 
She is in one important sense the voice of the management, 
and she should be impressed with the value of the motto that 
"the voice with the smile wins." Patrons sufficiently interested 
in their own enjoyment to call a specific theater on the 'phone 
should be made to feel that they have chosen the right num- 
ber — that they are being and will be received with an interest 
equal to their own. A pleasant 'phone personality may do 
much to win patronage by answering inquiries as to the theater 
and the performance in such a way as to attract. Naturally, 
the information itself must in the first place be accurate; so 
the operator should be primed to respond at once to questions 
concerning every unit of the program, and the time it begins. 
For this purpose time schedules must be available. (Figure 
5.) Other information that must be on the tip of the tongue 
is: scales of prices and location of seats, future programs, 
and, for visitors from out of town, the best means of getting 



HOUSE MANAGEMENT 



75 



to the theater. Finally, an ideal operator minimizes the neces- 
sity of calling executives to the 'phone, especially during the 
rush period. 



na«,u)Uii(iMia»iDvt«>iiti 



SKFBBQKZ CHIT 
FEBSUAHT 12th, 1927 



TITLE" OF OVERTURE : 


PBELUDE TO MUSIC HASTES 






TITLE OP FEATURE : 


5HIHD IEGBES 








TITLE OF COMEDY : 


TITLE OF OTIT 


PAUL WHITE? 


IAS & BAND 








1st SHOW 


2a4 SHOW 


3rd SHOW 


<tb SHOW 


Stb SHOW 


6tb SHOW 


Tib SHOW 


Prelude 1 






12:45 


2:57 


5:U9 






Hews 6 






12:46 


2:58 


5:10 


7,22 


9:34 


Gettysburg 5 
— Address 






12:52 


3:04 


5:16 




9:40 


Mosic Kasterl 






12:57 


3:09 


5:21 


7:33 


9:45 


Organ 6 






1:07 


3:19 


5:31 


7:43 


-9:55 


Wiiteman 23 






1:13 


3:25 


5:37 


7:49 


10:01 


Feature 




11:24 


1:36 


3:48 


6:00 


6:12 


10:24 


Trailers 2 




12:43 


2:55 


5:07 


7:19 


9:31 


11:43 
















11:45 


















AT THEATRE : 





STABT fflTH FEATURE SATURDA? 0SLY 

doors o?iN swaaiut u^ui. 



FIGURE 5 

Time Schedule 

The above information is offered in the belief that it is 
fairly full, yet it is not intended to be exhaustive. Responsible 
positions, such as the four I have been describing, are to be 



76 MOTION PICTURE THEATER MANAGEMENT 



considered filled only when they are occupied by people who 
know the meaning of the term "obligation." No such indi- 
vidual could for a moment look upon his or her post as a 
mere performance of stated tasks. These are required, of 
course; that goes without saying. Routine is the track on 
which the operation runs smoothly to success. But, as I can- 
not too often point out, there is something over and above 
customary practice, something which is in fact the ideal aim 
of routine, which is the ultimate value. That golden fruit is 
a sustained and ever-widening patronage, magnetized by what- 
ever means may be effective. 

The four individuals who have been the subject of this 
chapter can, without neglect of duty or annoying officious- 
ness, throw into their work a vitality of resolve to succeed 
by omitting no effort that may be within their scope. Not 
merely can they readily enlarge upon their function, but they 
can and should study it constantly. In that way they will 
be able to suggest to management significant and far-reach- 
ing improvements, within their own spheres, and to the or- 
ganization as a whole. 

Why is this of value? 

Because it means growth. 



CHAPTER VIII 



Training for Management 

THE growth of the moving picture industry is the work 
of outstanding individuals, who have carved out their 
careers very much as Daniel Boone cut his trail through 
the original wilderness. In the realm of operation, promotion 
has come to some mainly by graduation from the school of 
experience. Those who have had ambition, initiative, and 
resourcefulness have made progress by pioneering their way. 
Like the industry itself, the successful operators have had to 
evolve their own methods; and like it, again, they have sur- 
vived and prospered by finding chief guidance within. 

More concretely, the successful manager of the past genera- 
tion learned the game while playing it. He found out what 
mistakes he might be making, and analyzed, and experimented, 
and worked himself out of many a tragic crisis. He looked 
out upon the field, present and future, to study the market, 
to meet competition, to increase income — and experience 
brought many lessons of encouragement and profit. He kept 
pace with the march of events, he disciplined himself into the 
status of executive, he turned his days and nights of experi- 
ence into manuals of reference. To-day his training, his 
library of research and authority are, as the phrase puts it, 
under his hat. He is not merely self-made but self-taught. 

The necessity is clear. The moving picture industry has 
in many phases been a business without precedent. Allowing 
for the fundamental resemblances of all forms of commerce, 
allowing for past wisdom in showmanship as developed by 
the older arts, the cinema had to become familiar with its own 
novelties, and with a public still to be attracted. One may 
say that it created itself and its audience at one and the same 
time. And all this in a fraction of a century! Even if the 



78 MOTION PICTURE THEATER MANAGEMENT 



early pioneers had had the opportunities of instruction in 
their chosen field, it is doubtful that the rush of progress 
would have allowed them the time to avail themselves. It was 
business before theory in those days — nay, business without 
theory, except such as might be snatched from hard experi- 
ence, day by day, hand to mouth ! 

As a result the self-made executive of to-day has acquired, 
in addition to his success, the very body of information he 
lacked thirty years ago ! As an economist, he knows the value 
of every lesson shaped by hard knocks and lighted by inspira- 
tion. And as an executive, he sees no reason why he should 
wait an equal period till his younger lieutenants — the man- 
agers of to-morrow — learn the game by the same laborious 
(though in his own case necessary) and time-eating process. 

The industry, as it is striding forward to-day, has no years 
to waste. Since every season brings new development and a 
widening public, in figures that dwarf even the past, it is 
simply ordinary good business sense to provide a quicker and 
more economical means of instruction. Furthermore, the basis 
of such learning is now available. It is written in large letters, 
in the results of original initiative, from coast to coast. It 
is engraved deep in the memories of those who paid the price 
of courage and earned the reward of victory. As the silent 
demand for more and more theaters urges the industry on, 
there is need of more and more young men not merely suited 
but equipped for direction. Bluntly, there is a shortage of 
the right kind of man-power in the field of theater operation; 
and thoughtful executives are encouraging every effort to cul- 
tivate competent employees in keeping pace with a demand that 
is ceaselessly expanding. 

The condition is not merely of the immediate moment. It 
reaches back into the recent past. It was because of it, in 
fact, that I not so long ago established the institute known 
as the Publix Theatre Managers Training School. After what 
I have said, I believe that it is hardly necessary for me to dwell 
on the causes that impelled me to take the step. The old hit 
or miss policy, that had functioned so heroically in its own 
time, was out of date. No longer could it be feasible to rely 



TRAINING FOR MANAGEMENT 



79 



entirely on the skill that shows itself after the accumulation 
of years of trial and experience. There was a great new need. 
There was a vast fund of information drawn from many 
sources. There were young men of promise. The hour had 
come to bring these elements together under the swift manipu- 
lation of scientific training. So the Publix Theatre school 
was brought into existence. 

Let me take the word "scientific" from the sentences I have 
written above, and restate it here, to clarify at once the main 
distinction between the former training and the present. 
Science is common sense to the nth power — that is, common 
sense operating not by occasional inspiration, but so organ- 
ized as to give a maximum return every time and all the time. 
Previously, the manager who wished to train another to fill 
his place would bring the younger man into association with 
himself and give him every opportunity of observation, coun- 
sel, and responsibility until the man was fit to go it on his own. 
He could thus school another in a period shorter than the one 
in which he himself had made his own wisdom. This method 
of transmission from one man to one man may still have its 
uses where organization is small. But, in view of the far- 
flung organization demanded by present day standards, it is 
hopelessly inefficient. As old-fashioned and cumbersome as 
the discarded practice of educating a young lawyer in the office 
of an older! We have law schools to-day. And to-morrow, 
I confidently believe, we shall have, at least, a number of the- 
ater operation courses included in the curricula of several 
universities. Although the demand for good managers will 
never cease as long as the industry grows, the time is not 
far off when organized training will do away with any like- 
lihood of a dearth. 

Since it is wise, in instituting any new procedure, to carry 
over the tried and true virtues of the old, the Publix Theatre 
school maintains the sensible practice of opening its doors not 
only to worthy applicants who are new to the field, but to 
what may be termed "star" employees. These are young men 
who, because of their sterling efforts, are entitled to promo- 
tion. Such employees make the finest material. They already 



80 MOTION PICTURE THEATER MANAGEMENT 



have the requisite basic understanding of operation, acquired 
in their earlier, subordinate connection with policy and prac- 
tice. They understand the necessity of fact and personality 
as prerequisites for leadership. They have learned the in- 
dispensable lesson of wholehearted application, and have won 
the regard of superiors therefor. The commendation of em- 
ployers is the best practical certificate of admission to train- 
ing. 

On entering the school, they are first acquainted with the 
measures entailed in financing and organizing a new theater, 
following closely its growth through construction, equipment, 
systematizing — right up to the opening. Here they gain a 
knowledge of the parts played by architecture, engineering, 
banking, decoration, protection, values, sanitation, ventilation, 
and a host of kindred elements. Theater accounting, with ref- 
erence to budgets, controls, insurance, purchase, stock, and 
every item of income or expenditure, is explained and discussed 
thoroughly. On these two bases, the students take a new stand 
of wider scope, not merely for the duration of the course, but 
more especially for the days of actual management to come. It 
is confidently expected that, with vision so widened in ad- 
vance, they will meet their problems with quicker recognition 
and readier solution. 

The method of instruction employed is a combination of 
theory and practice. Total reliance on either would defeat the 
end of well-rounded training. Of course, the practical phase 
is a continuation from the days of employment ; for, naturally, 
the attaches have already received a certain amount of train- 
ing, direct and indirect, from contact with managers and de- 
partment heads, from attendance at conferences, and from 
reading and study of general instructions and manuals issued 
to the staff. The last named method is, naturally, broadened 
in the class room; so that the student is not merely given 
formal instruction, but is permitted and in fact required to 
join in the discussion. 

As the course proceeds, the student is carefully observed. 
If it becomes evident that he is not making the kind of progress 
that will justify graduation, he is not encouraged further. 




FIGURE 6 

Remote Control Switchboard 



TRAINING FOR MANAGEMENT 81 



This eliminates wasted effort on his part, and enables him to 
return to his apprenticeship, or to his former pursuits, there 
to find and follow the path of effort to which he is best suited. 
On the other hand, the man who shows that he is not merely 
a promising apprentice but a candidate for executive status 
is retained and urged onward to completion of his studies. 
After graduation he is given a position at a fair working sal- 
ary, with the occasion to practice, under actual working con- 
ditions, the many lessons the organization has taught him. 
The principle of preference, which caused his employers to 
admit him to the school, is thus soundly rounded into results. 
Promotion of men in an organization is an incentive toward 
loyalty, without which there can be no efficiency worthy of 
the name. And the young man who goes from the school to 
a managership faces his biggest assignment with the best 
moral as well as mental equipment to serve. The school pro- 
vides such full appreciation of the responsibilities of theater 
operation. 

So much in general. 

In addition to the other subjects of study listed hereinbefore, 
the applicant is made familiar with matters of advertising, 
air-conditioning, electricity, gas, water, heating, housekeeping, 
care of furniture, music and entertainment, motion picture 
value, stage production, color values. Though there is no ex- 
pectation — or desire — that he shall become an expert in each 
of these fields, he is required to know enough to guide him- 
self and to engage the right kind of experts to assist him. 

In the same way, he is instructed in his future executive 
connections with personnel. These, of course, include em- 
ployment, supervision, discipline, and training. For, as a 
student-manager, he is learning to teach others. He is there- 
fore enlightened as to the methods of securing a personnel 
that will be vital because it is youthful, and in the methods of 
toning down that excess vitality which, in the young, threat- 
ens to convert their great virtue into a disorganizing element. 
The student, in looking forward to his future control and 
guidance of employees, learns the need and the process of 
inspection, the value of routine, the high desirability of service 



82 MOTION PICTURE THEATER MANAGEMENT 



as the magnet of good will. He learns these lessons not merely 
to know them himself, but in his turn to teach them to others. 

It has been argued that executives take up too much time 
in conferences, and in instructional work generally. However, 
experience points out that it is more economical to have em- 
ployees do a thing right as a result of training than to take 
time to correct errors in practice. General training also has 
its value in giving each employee an appreciation of the prob- 
lem of the whole; he is able to see his relations to the parts 
of the entire enterprise. When he knows only his own job, 
his interest is self -centered and he cannot work for the success 
of the big thing of which he is a minor factor. For instance, 
an usher has several vacant seats; instead of filling them at 
once, he waits until several more have accumulated. In the 
meantime, the doormen are holding patrons out in the lobby. 
These people, held too long, resent the delay. Others seeing 
the crowded lobby, decide to go elsewhere. Multiply the 
original shiftless usher by a large uniformed staff — and there 
is no arguing against training. If the usher knows his job in 
relation to the whole, every seat is kept working. 

Along with these considerations, the student learns that 
large organization requires diversification of routine and 
therefore of training. He learns that there are classes of 
ushers and that routine affecting each class should be estab- 
lished by whoever is responsible, and should be followed up 
by conferences, written bulletins, manuals and discussions. He 
knows that forty ushers cannot be left to their individual de- 
vices in doing one thing that should be done one way. In a 
word, our manager-in-training assimilates the most progres- 
sive attitude toward employers, employees, public. That, after 
all, will be his great asset as a captain of men and a leader 
of industry. He will be neither made rash nor manacled by 
ignorance. Knowledge gives courage as well as clear thought ; 
and the instructed man will do his best because he knows what 
is best. 

I emphasize the point because I believe it brings a new ad- 
vantage to the business. I am not by any means proposing 
to discard the whole past or any valuable part of it. I am 



TRAINING FOR MANAGEMENT 



83 



certainly not unaware of the fact that success in business 
is something that comes from the man more than from the 
theory. Executive ability cannot be created where it does 
not exist. I do insist, however, that where it does exist it 
can be brought out most effectively and most economically by 
the right kind of training. What do I mean by 4 'the right 
kind of training"? I mean training that can be transmitted 
as quickly as may be sensible. I mean training that doesn't 
waste an organization's time and money. I mean training that 
is handled by experts — men who not merely know the infor- 
mation but who know how to make others understand it. 
I mean training whose greatest economy lies in the fact that 
the trained manager makes fewer of the errors that experi- 
ence can warn against, recognizes his errors more quickly, 
and repairs the damage more intelligently. And finally, I 
mean training that takes a man who can be a good manager, 
and makes him a better manager. 

I would go further, and apply the idea of training to the 
whole staff and every member of it. The old-fashioned notion 
of never paying attention to employees till they do something 
wrong, and then calling them down for it, has a tendency 
to dampen enthusiasm and to engender a hostile attitude. Em- 
ployees who speak good English, give worthy service, and try 
to please, need only a suitable incentive — plus training meth- 
ods. As a further development of educative effort, staff con- 
ferences on service are becoming an important feature in es- 
tablishing the ideal of the management as an art of the em- 
ployee. Furthermore, steps in this direction reduce labor 
turnover, promote efficiency, develop ambition, improve serv- 
ice, and build up esprit de corps. 

Progressive managers should encourage and support every 
promising movement which aims to produce a supply of better 
educated and trained employees. They will contribute what 
aid they can in cooperating with educational institutions which 
will offer to supplement the experience on the job with good 
courses. They will likewise organize the best methods of 
instruction in their own organizations. 

To the new manager, or the man preparing himself for 



84* MOTION PICTURE THEATER MANAGEMENT 



managership, I would say this : The future of the moving pic- 
ture theater will tend more and more to be put into the hands 
of trained men, and those already engaged in the industry 
will go ahead or fall behind in measure as they train them- 
selves. Just as it proved true that the pioneer with a brain 
and a will, built up the industry, so the modern executive with 
enough sense and force to enrich his knowledge will be the 
one to rise. Be your own teacher always. Discipline your- 
self. Instruct yourself. What you learn from others, make 
part of yourself. That is what your predecessors have done. 
That is why they have succeeded. 

In closing this chapter and this section, I have only one 
thing to add. I have dealt largely with the manager here be- 
cause this book is mainly for him, and about him. In the 
remaining sections and chapters, I shall still be discussing 
management, though most often in connection with matters 
which management delegates to subordinates. Yet it is the 
manager's conceded responsibility that all duties in the the- 
ater, whether performed by him or not, are his duties. He 
should know much about them, from first hand, from re- 
port, from reading. And I offer my words of information 
and counsel in the sincere trust that the right kind of man- 
ager, new or old in experience, will absorb the facts as he 
would in practice, making of them a part of the only true 
training — ambition ever eager to learn and to profit. 



Part III 
Plant and Structure 



CHAPTER IX 



The Building and Its Construction 

IN considering the building of a new theater, the first thing 
of importance that must be decided is whether there is 
room in the town or community for the development. To 
build where there are already too many seats is to invite al- 
most positive disaster. Where there are too many, for ex- 
ample, it is almost impossible to be sure of sufficient product 
for the new theater. After all, there is only a limited number 
of pictures made, and distributing organizations are morally 
under obligation to take care of their old customers. There- 
fore, whoever plans the building of a new theater must assure 
himself that he will be able to secure feature films necessary to 
operate it well. 

If you are sure that there is an opening, however, the next 
step is to locate advantageously. In choosing a location the 
first consideration is an assurance of sufficient population to 
support the theater which is planned. If you are satisfied 
on that score, is the location accessible to most of the people? 
The size of the plot depends most naturally on the size of 
the theater you are considering and the extent of the com- 
mercial building to be erected. Such information may be 
procurable from the architect whom you are tentatively con- 
sulting. 

The price of land is of secondary importance these days, 
because the cost of a good location can be offset by the sub- 
rentals from stores and offices — and the actual building costs 
just as much if it is poorly located. It therefore can readily be 
seen that a good location is economy in the long run. A poor 
location is too expensive, even if you get it for nothing. The 
cost of drawing people from the main street, out of their way, 
is prohibitive. The loss of the custom of those that will not 

87 



88 MOTION PICTURE THEATER MANAGEMENT 



go out of their way often means failure. A choice location is 
the first requisite in the successful operation of a theater. 
There are many instances where shrewd operators have been 
able to reduce the burden of theater rentals to a very low fixed 
charge, because of the commercial income obtainable through 
stores and office lofts. , 

When a location is secured, when you are ready to consider 
the plans of your theater and the amount you are going to 
spend for your building, you naturally must know your cost 
before making any commitments. It is a common experience 
to see men plunge into important investments without clearly 
studying and planning projects; and, frequently, vitally im- 
portant problems are settled hastily, without due regard to the 
practical. This is particularly true in the launching of new 
theater enterprises. The balance sheet tells the story after it 
is too late, and frequently it is a tale of disappointment, — 
a tale of costs, away beyond estimates; of a set-up that dis- 
regarded income. A practical theater operator seldom goes 
wrong when guided by experience, or when advised by capable 
architects and engineers. The important factors to be con- 
sidered are those of finance, of plan, of construction, and of 
equipment. All of them together determine the overhead costs, 
the control of which is important in the successful consum- 
mation of the venture. 

Let us assume that the prospective operator has acquired 
the site, and that the financing awaits the plans and cost esti- 
mates. The next immediate problem is to select the profes- 
sional advisors, the architect-engineer, the decorators and 
others whose experience may contribute. It is important to 
secure the cooperation of a capable architect who is familiar 
with theater construction. A complete plan should include 
not only the architectural and decorative layout, but should 
also comprise specification, since in no other way can you 
know the actual cost. The architect will develop an outline 
specification to give some idea of the construction, and there 
should also be a preliminary estimate of costs on a cubic 
foot basis. 

The economically designed theater is the one that in addi- 



THE BUILDING AND ITS CONSTRUCTION 89 



tion to a careful selection of material and a wise choice of 
the various contractors, has a layout with a maximum of in- 
come possibilities. These possibilities will appear and develop 
in proportion to the amount of concentrated study that is 
spent on the plans. An architect is too often required to pre- 
pare sketches in much too short a time. These are later trans- 
posed into working drawings without sufficient deliberation 
to study the possibilities of the sketch profitably. Conscien- 
tious effort spent upon sketches, which takes time and means 
money, is a far more profitable investment to the theater man 
than many of the devices he later installs for increasing re- 
turns. The study of sketches for the purpose of conserving 
space necessitates an investigation of the structural and me- 
chanical features of the building as well. Thus considered, the 
possibilities for economy multiply. Furthermore, unattrac- 
tive exteriors and interiors are the result of poor design and 
bad judgment. 

Maintenance is another big factor in theater operation. The 
modern house is a great machine filled with miles of pipes, 
wires, and many different materials. A theater properly de- 
signed and erected requires a minimum of maintenance. This 
factor is determined in advance largely by the experience of 
the architect and builder. 

The first problem of the planning proper is to establish 
the seating capacity; after that, the stage, the lobbies, and the 
rest rooms, and other necessary spaces for theater operation, 
arranging the areas in the most compact, convenient, and at- 
tractive manner consistent with the budget. Only after all 
these details are developed should the exterior design be stud- 
ied. Some one has well said that theaters are designed from 
the inside out — that the architect is expected to hang a grace- 
ful cloak on a structure already completed. The architectural 
design should be influenced, entirely, by the taste of the people 
to whom the theater will cater. 

Now that the plan has been developed, and the cost esti- 
mate is reasonably correct, the project is in form to be shaped. 
The big problem of financing has now a better chance of being 
worked out by means of a necessary building loan, and there 



90 MOTION PICTURE THEATER MANAGEMENT 



is a better background for bond selling, if that is to be the 
scheme of promotion. Sometimes it is best to get a local 
loan, because a local bond sale means cooperation by those who 
eventually purchase the securities. In some instances local 
stock selling is resorted to by prospective operators. 

Let us jump over the rough road of financing and assume 
that it has been accomplished. The next step is the mak- 
ing of working drawings and specifications in which, line 
by line, the entire building is put on paper, so that contrac- 
tors may submit their bids. It is always most economical to 
give the building contract to a man who has a reputation for 
integrity; this is more important than merely giving the con- 
tract to the lowest bidder. While building, there is a great 
temptation to make changes and additions, and it is good to 
remember that this is very costly, and that every added ex- 
pense has to be paid for by heavier carrying charges. Every 
time a change is made in the specifications, moreover, it means 
an additional charge by the contractor. Unless great care is 
taken in this connection, a building may cost from 25 per 
cent, to 100 per cent, more than the contemplated expenditure. 
In every operation that the writer has been associated with, 
he has strictly adhered to the original specifications. In that 
way he keeps close to the original estimates. 

It is generally advisable to let the entire construction as 
one contract to a reliable man, who has the experience and 
facilities properly to supervise the sub-contractors operating 
under the direction of the owner and the architect. The op- 
erating equipment contract may be placed with a theater equip- 
ment organization which will supply engineering service, to- 
gether with all the items required; or this equipment may be 
purchased separately from various manufacturers. 

The building nearing completion, the next step is the selec- 
tion of furnishings. The use of inferior materials and equip- 
ment is the result of false economy; such a policy serves only 
to establish high maintenance and replacement costs. Having 
in mind that styles and fads change, it is good judgment to 
keep to conservative and simple design in furniture and decora- 
tions. The decorative schemes are developed by interior 



THE BUILDING AND ITS CONSTRUCTION 91 



decorators, who will undertake the provision of all the fur- 
niture and interior schemes under one contract. This work 
is done under the supervision of the architect and the owner, 
who sometimes purchase rugs, drapes, and the like, in the 
market. The purchase of the organ and the seats should be 
made directly from the manufacturers. Such special equip- 
ment should be ordered only after study and consideration. 

The most important item of equipment is the seats. No 
other equipment is given such hard use. Nor is any other 
article so important in contributing to the comfort of the 
patron. Management must therefore take unusual care as 
to the type of chair installed. Considerable experiment by the 
leading manufacturers has produced chairs of various types 
that bring a maximum of comfort. Seats are upholstered 
either in mohair or in imitation leather. There are two fur- 
ther types of seats : one which is known as a spring seat, which 
is preferable; and the squab seat which is not quite so ex- 
pensive. Good seating plans provide a spacing of thirty-two 
inches, back to back, with a seat width of twenty or twenty- 
one inches. 

The item next in importance is the organ. There are sev- 
eral fine organs manufactured for theater requirements, but 
an orchestral unit organ is probably the best type of organ to 
install in a theater, because of color tone, quick action and 
its flexibility. The orchestral unit organ is played by an elec- 
tric action which makes possible instantaneous "speaking" and 
which imitates with a degree of success the units of an orches- 
tra, such as the flute or the oboe. 

It is needless to emphasize the importance of getting the 
very best in projection machines, and no theater should be 
equipped with less than two of them. Three are often de- 
sirable in theaters of the better grade, so that in operation you 
can be prepared in case of emergency. However, two projec- 
tion machines are essential, in order to give a performance 
without a break. 

Handsome draperies and hangings lend a great deal to the 
decorative treatment and should be designed by experienced 
decorators, and blended with the decorative scheme as well 



92 MOTION PICTURE THEATER MANAGEMENT 



as with that of the furnishings. Well furnished rest rooms 
add greatly to the appearance of any theater. Therefore great 
care should be exercised in designing these, with special effort 
in furnishing ladies' rooms. (A list of equipment of a first 
class motion picture theater is shown on page 93.) 

Electric signs that are simple in design and that announce 
the name of the theater, as well as the attraction, are a de- 
sirable feature. The ticket booth should be designed by the 
architect and should be placed as close to the sidewalk as pos- 
sible, so that it may be seen by the passer-by. An attractive 
box office is an invitation to enter a theater. A hanging 
marquee lends tone to the front, besides being a protection to 
patrons against the sun or the rain. The ceiling of the marquee 
should be studded with electric lights. Appropriate frames 
(one-sheet size — 22" x 48" on the inside) should be in evidence 
in front of the theater, on both sides of the lobby, and in the 
lobby as well. It is important that the lobby itself should 
be well illuminated. The auditorium should depend on in- 
direct illumination in preference to chandeliers that have glar- 
ing lights, which detract from the pleasure of viewing the 
stage or the motion picture. (The subject of lighting is given 
particular attention in a chapter devoted to that purpose.) 

Experience has proven that the best carpets are the cheap- 
est in the final analysis. Therefore the best grades should 
be given preference, and carpets should be lined with felt 
or especially prepared pads. This will give added life to the 
floor covering, and make the best materials, in the long run,^ 
more economical than the cheapest. 

The construction of a new theater entitles you to publicity 
in your local papers at no cost to you, because papers will 
print a story that is news. This, supplemented with adver- 
tising and exploitation and good bookings, will bring good 
patronage. The important thing is so to impress your patrons 
that they will come again. 

Many things can be done at the opening of a new theater 
that cost a little money, but that will create favorable im- 
pressions. For example, one may provide an abundance of 
uniformed attaches, who are carefully rehearsed as to their 



THE BUILDING AND ITS CONSTRUCTION 93 



duties and who are therefore able to render a good, courteous 
service. This stafr* can be cut down gradually, according to 
necessity. An opening invitation audience, including city offi- 
cials and prominent citizens, generally creates a good impres- 
sion, and gives a theater an auspicious commencement. An 
aggressive publicity man may be able to induce the local press 
to furnish a special section for the opening, the section to be 
paid for by advertising furnished by the contractors employed 
in the building of the theater, and by neighboring business 
houses, who wish success to the new enterprise. 

In conclusion, a sensible operator will not open his theater 
unless every detail is carefully rehearsed many times, so that 
a smooth opening can be assured. The rest depends on good 
management and consistently good programs if they are pro- 
vided, and if the patronage is made to feel at home after the 
fashion which I have already dwelt on too often to do more 
than mention it here. 

LIST OF THEATER EQUIPMENT 

Signs : 
Vertical 
Marquise 
Directional 
Price 

Carpet : 

Carpet padding 
Rugs 

Organ 

Chairs: 
Orchestra 
Balcony 
Loge 

Draperies (house) 

Box Office: 
Ticket machine 
Coin changer 



Chair 

Price signs 
Cash boxes 

Ticket Chopper 

Rails 

Cords for Rails 

Mats 

Sand Jars 

Projection Equipment: 
Projectors 

Low 1 |^ ntens ^y Lamps 
Strong change-overs 
Lens 

Clayton take-ups 
Panels 



94 MOTION PICTURE THEATER MANAGEMENT 



Projection Equipment (cont'd. 
Voltmeter 
Ammeter 
Speed indicator 
Generators for speed indi- 
cator 
Effect machine 
Stereo machine 
Transverters 
Rheostats 
Dissolver 
Floor machine 
Spotlight 
Rewinds 
Film cabinet 
Film waxer 
Steel chairs 
Fusible links 
Metal desk 

Lockers (See Misc. Equip't.) 

Color wheels 

Color frames 

Lobster scope 

Carbon cabinets 

B. & L. Irises 

15 inch wire reels 

12 inch wire reels 

Film can 

Splicing machine 

Measuring machine 

Stage Equipment: 
1000 Watt Olivettes 
1000 Watt spots head only 
1000 Watt spots complete 
400 Watt spots head only 
250 Watt spots 
Color frames for 1000 W 
Color frames for Olivettes 
Color frames for 400 W 
Color frames for 250 W 
Lamps 1000 W G 40 
Lamps for 1000 W Ps 52 
Lamps for 400 W 

' Lamps for 250 W 
Lamps for foots 



) : Lamps for borders 
Gelatine 
Gelatine cabinet 
Stage screws 
Slip connectors 
Stage plugs No. 12 
Stage cable No. 4 
Extension braces 
Screen 

Screen frame 
Blue black velour 
Ground cloth 
Draperies 

Black plush draw curtain 
Black plush border 
Black plush legs 
Gold plush draw curtain 
Gold plush border 
Gold plush legs 
Work curtain 
Tormentor set 
Valenco border 
Main curtain 
Painted scenery 
Grand piano 
Piano cover 
Piano truck 

All Lamps 

Orchestra Pit Equipment: 
Piano 

Piano rack and light 
Music stands 

Conductor stands with dim- 
mers 
Musicians' chairs 
Organ music rack and light 

Ushers' Room : 
Lockers 

Table (checker-board type) 
Cuspidors 

Table round (App. 36 inch 

diameter) 
Leather chairs, heavy 



THE BUILDING AND ITS CONSTRUCTION 95 



Ushers' Room (cont'd.) : 
Leather lounge 
Mirrors 
Clothes racks 
Chairs, heavy type 
Ash tray sets 

Manager's Office: 
Desk 

Desk, typist 

Chair, swivel with arms 
Chair, steno 
Typewriter 

Filing cabinet with lock 
Medicine cabinet 
Lockers 

Treasurer's Office: 
Safe 

Ticket Cabinet 

Locker 

Desk 

Chair (swivel, straight) 

Desk lamp 

Table 

Table for typewriter 
Typewriter, large carriage 
Steno chair 

Filing cabinet with lock 

Musical Director's Office 
and Library: 
Music cabinets 
Desk lamp 
Desk 

Chair, swivel 
Chair, arm 

Piano (Apartment size) 
Bench for piano 



Telephone table 
Small table for music 

Dressing Room : 

(Janitors and Porters) 

Lockers 

Cuspidors 

Racks for supplies 

(Scrubwomen) 

Lockers 

Fire Extinguishers, located 
at: 
Stage 
Booth 
Auditorium 
Basement 
Aisle lights 
Lockers (clothes) 
Managers 
Treasurers 
Janitors 
Ushers 
Musicians 
Stage Manager 
Booth 

Scrubwomen 
Engineer 
Organist 
Box Office 

Pianos, located at: 
Stage 
Pit 

Music room 

Musical director's room 
Rehearsal room 
Organist's room 



CHAPTER X 



Structural Equipment 



THEATER, as I pointed out in the last chapter, is 



no mere shelter. It is not a skeleton shell, like a barn 



or a warehouse. It contains many materials, for many 
purposes. There are wires, pipes and other conductive ele- 
ments. There are rest and locker rooms, machines and offices. 
These cannot "just happen" after the floor and walls and roof 
have been built. They must be planned into the blueprints be- 
fore the first shovelful of ground is broken. Otherwise they 
are not merely forbiddingly expensive, but often simply im- 
possible. Such parts of the theater, because they are specified 
in the plan, and because the nature of the edifice requires them, 
I shall call structural equipment. 

In dealing with the subject, let me say first of all, as I 
did in connection with choice of location, that cheap con- 
struction is most expensive in the long run and is never justi- 
fied by experience. Although initial costs for better grade 
materials sometimes loom quite large to the builder, he should 
remember that later alterations and necessary replacements 
are still more expensive because they imply a previous waste. 
Houses that have been built without regard to quality are 
antiquated in very short time. Why? Because inferior stuff 
deteriorates under hard usage — and shows it. 

Furthermore, this lack of dependability may have its seri- 
ous consequences in undermining safety. I have said a great 
deal on that head in another chapter, and I do not intend 
repeating what I have already emphasized so strongly. I wish 
merely to connect the general matter of prevention with the 
present topic; and in that connection all I can say is that no 
detail that may enter the plans, and no consideration of long- 
run value, can profitably be ignored. Floors should be con- 




96 



STRUCTURAL EQUIPMENT 



97 



structed of the most durable substances. All plaster walls 
should have armored corners. Doors should be provided with 
substantial hardware, kick plates, and checks; and exit doors 
must have push bars to permit easy opening. Working or 
service sections should be built for strength. Exterior walls 
must have enduring resistance; and the same aim must be 
dominant in roofing, cornices, leaders, gutters, skylights, and 
plumbing. Wear and tear may not be mathematically calcul- 
able in advance, but one thing is certain: Nothing deterio- 
rates so surely or so quickly as cheapness. 

In the matter of fire equipment, to take up a special and 
essential point, it is important for both patrons and building 
that every ounce of equipment of any utility shall be pro- 
vided. It is not enough to comply with the law. That is 
expected and demanded. In addition, ample fire prevention 
apparatus approved by the underwriters should be supplied. 
Indispensable items include fire alarms and a watchman's 
clock system. This latter is a series of signal stations, lo- 
cated in various parts of the theater, which permit a record 
of the watchman's patrol at regular intervals during the night. 

So much in general for safety appliances. As I go for- 
ward in this chapter, I shall touch on the subject again in 
other connections; for the question of public security is one 
that arises in every physical part of the house. On the other 
hand, the very equipment for other purposes has its own in- 
terest to the theater man. I shall therefore turn now to the 
important considerations of illumination, heat, ventilation, 
and refrigeration, and deal with them in order. 

The building must be well lighted. Indeed, theater illu- 
mination systems are elaborate in character, and must be de- 
signed by experts. In large theaters, all the lighting, both 
in the auditorium and back stage, is controlled from a switch- 
board behind the scenes. There are various types of such 
switchboards, but the finer theaters endorse what is known 
as the remote control method. It consists of an operating 
board of buttons and small levers which, in turn, manipulate 
switching machinery that is placed in the basement. (The 
diagram shown in Figure 6 shows how the stage board oper- 



98 MOTION PICTURE THEATER MANAGEMENT 



ates and controls all the lighting changes you see while at 
a performance.) 

All lighting on the stage and in the auditorium should be 
wired for four colors, and is controlled by dimmers which 
permit gradual blending of colors and a very flexible light- 
ing scheme. Dimming is a process that diminishes the light 
through the use of resistance coils. In connection with colors, 
this method makes it possible to blend many combinations 
with most pleasing results. In addition to the usual stage 
lighting of footlights and borders, auxiliaries are provided 
in the form of spotlights and flood lamps. A bridge hung 
between the rear of the proscenium arch and the first border 
supports a number of spots, which are worked by electricians 
who follow the action on the stage. (Figure 7 shows the 
lighting of a typical modern stage.) 

Emergency lamps for stairways and exits are generally on 
a circuit of their own. They are always lighted while the 
theater is in use. The exit bulbs are generally in red, and 
are placed on the top of the door frames. They are not only 
advisable but mandatory in an important community. Public 
spaces and corridors are lighted brilliantly for attractiveness 
and safety. Another touch of prevention, within the audi- 
torium, is the aisle light, attached to the seat standards, for 
guidance of patrons and ushers. By such displays of fore- 
thought management not merely protects property and public, 
but makes its high standards manifest to all. 

The heating plant should be installed with utmost care, 
under rigid specifications, and should be equal to peak de- 
mands. There should be recording devices to show the pres- 
sure, automatic dampers to prevent waste of fuel, and com- 
bustion records to check the amount of fuel consumed. For 
safety, in addition to the customary measures, the installa- 
tion of non-return valves on each boiler is recommended for 
plants of two or more boilers, to guard against casualties and 
shut-down. Provision should be made, likewise, for easy de- 
livery of fuel and discharge of ashes, if coal is used. In the 
case of oil, fuel capacities should be as great as municipal and 



100 MOTION PICTURE THEATER MANAGEMENT 



insurance regulations will permit. It goes without saying that 
cleanliness is as important in the boiler room as in any part of 
the theater; and engineers should be impressed with the fact. 
Finally, large savings will accrue through utilization of the best 
and safest insulation. 

In the auditorium and other public rooms, particular care 
must be taken to avoid the annoyance of hammering or snap- 
ping. Noise of this sort would make the finest theater un- 
tenantable. For this reason, the system most advisable is 
both direct and indirect; i.e., air is forced from the heating 
chambers by fans and is distributed over large spaces from 
grills in the walls and the ceiling. Then it is exhausted by 
the aid of fan systems through openings under the seats. 
Sometimes the procedure is reversed. In the most important 
rooms, radiators are concealed behind grills, which are acces- 
sible for cleaning purposes. Radiators are eliminated in sys- 
tems which provide for heating through duct systems. 

Provisions for regulation of temperature, whether manual 
or automatic, are of great importance. The installation must 
provide an arrangement of the greatest flexibility, that can 
adjust the temperature to conditions of capacity, and of the 
opposite extreme, with equal delicacy. The ventilation, of 
course, is exceedingly important, affecting as it does the com- 
fort of patrons, the earnings of the enterprises and the effi- 
ciency of employees in many departments. 

Modern mechanical ventilation systems afford apparatus 
for air-washing, which is a means of forcing air through 
chambers in which it is washed by streams of water; for de- 
humidifying, which is a device for removing excess water 
from the air by means of heat; and for air-conditioning, 
which provides refrigeration in the summer and heating in the 
winter. Liberal capacities in all these directions should be 
a guiding factor of designs, in order to assure the best re- 
sults. Another consideration is to provide machinery that 
will be free of objectionable odor and noise. Economy may 
be insured by subdividing the apparatus to permit shutting 
of parts not in use. Another measure in economy is effec- 
tive insulation by sheet cork, since deterioration of the cov- 



STRUCTURAL EQUIPMENT 



101 



erings of tanks, pipe lines, or other parts lowers the effi- 
ciency of operation, as well as adding to operating cost. 

Air-conditioning and refrigeration installations have 
reached a state of perfection in guaranteeing a temperature of 
the greatest comfort in the warmest weather. This installa- 
tion has virtually turned the summer months into periods of 
capacity attendance, reversing a condition that threatened 
financial loss and seasonal activity. Nowadays, city people 
go to the theater in July and August as much to escape the 
torture of urban temperature and humidity as to see the pic- 
tures. Here is a selling point no one can ignore. No one, in 
my opinion, will. I confidently believe that in the next five 
years no house of any consequence will be without refrigera- 
tion. 

Of the power plant, I would say that its installation must 
appeal to any reasonable operator as a matter of outstand- 
ing significance. Its upkeep may prove very expensive unless 
careful study is given to the requirements of the building. 
Therefore, the equipment involved must be appropriate in type 
and adequate in supply. Few theaters, of course, use electric 
generators, since this service is available through central sta- 
tions. These are equipped, for the most part, to give theaters 
preferred service and to guard against emergency situations. 

In connection with power, I predict that one important 
modification of the up-to-date theater will be universal in the 
theater of to-morrow. I refer to elevators for patrons. Al- 
ready, the balcony of many a house reaches the height of a 
nine-story building. It is unreasonable to expect people to 
climb so far in preparation for an evening of comfortable 
diversion. Elevators will make balcony seats as accessible 
as those of the ground, and will thereby make it easier to 
establish the one-price system, rapidly becoming popular where- 
ever all parts of the house are equally inviting and desirable. 

Elevators should be equipped with every possible device to 
insure safety and the elimination of noise from machinery, 
doors, gates and counterweights. In addition to elevators, 
stairways, and fire towers are required, the number being de- 
termined by the fire code. In some places, escalators are in 



102 MOTION PICTURE THEATER MANAGEMENT 



use; but since moving stairways require considerable space, 
they generally interfere with architectural treatment. 

Another feature that requires attention on the part of the 
architect is the provision of suitable rest rooms and quarters 
for personnel. The object here is to aim at fine service 
through efficiency. Hence there should be locker and dress- 
ing rooms for the house staff. Each class of worker should 
have a separate room, with toilet, and, in some cases, shower 
bath facilities. Locker rooms should be so arranged that 
employees may pass through the building, without necessarily 
traversing the public areas. A valet and tailor shop is a valu- 
able adjunct for theaters engaging a large uniformed staff. 

For the musicians, there should be back-stage dressing and 
lounge rooms; and the musical director should have a room 
of his own located close to the music library, which is essen- 
tial for operation of high grade. Another desirable cham- 
ber is the screen room, where motion pictures can be screened 
in rehearsal for synchronization with the music. For the 
purpose, in addition to the screen, there are required two pro- 
jection machines in a fire-proof booth, and a piano. In very 
large theaters, special rehearsal rooms are built, so that artists 
may prepare for the next week's attraction. Finally, I take 
it for granted that every one will understand the need of 
special store rooms, and carpenter and electrical shops, together 
with the equipment to make them serviceable. 

The one man who, after the management, is solely respon- 
sible for operation of structural equipment, is the engineer. 
With him and his duties I propose to deal in another chapter. 
Here I wish only to point out how his efficiency may in large 
measure be guaranteed by steps taken, in plan and construc- 
tion, before he is engaged. In the interests of economy and 
safety, for example, all water or steam or electric lines should 
be metered and recorded according to consumption. The 
engineer may thus report and suggest, and the manager study 
and decide, the times when unnecessary lines, or lines not in 
use, may be cut off at the source. A regular time schedule 
likewise, should determine the hour for turning on steam, and 
valves be labeled with the time of turning on and off. 



STRUCTURAL EQUIPMENT 103 

Equipment of the right sort gives opportunity to make and 
keep the right sort of records. I offer, as an instance, a 
typical report: 

BOILER ROOM REPORT 

Week ending February 27, 1925 

Coal on hand Feb. 21 $ 50.00 

Coal purchased Feb. 24 200.82 



$250.82 

$110.50 
140.32 

$250.82 



Chief Engineer. 

A good engineer, active supervision, frequent inspections, 
sterling routine, are all highly desirable. And the way to 
make sure of them is to build into the house the best possible 
structural equipment, the finest materials and mechanisms that 
experience and vision can summon forth. The surest return 
you get out of a theater is the kind you plan into it. 



Coal consumed , 

Coal on hand this report 



CHAPTER XI 



Fire Apparatus and Water Supply 

IN dealing with fire apparatus after structural equipment, 
I am moved by considerations of convenience of arrange- 
ment, and not of importance. It is true that a great 
many materials are put into the building before extinguishers, 
hose, and axes arrive on the scene; yet need I point out the 
fact that, without the latter, the former are never secure? 
I believe I have said enough on that head in other chapters 
to take the reader's agreement for granted here. 

There are, however, precise details of fire prevention and 
control which I would enumerate at this stage for their value 
in disclosing the mechanical and human organization requisite 
to preserve the house or any part of it from the flames. The 
background and the procedure I am about to explain are no 
mere figment of theory. They represent the sum total of the 
best information which experience has learned from the two 
great sources of afterthought and forethought; and the matter 
presented is therefore not only to be read, but drilled into 
ready memory. 

In the first place, let me list the equipment needed: The 
stage skylight, the asbestos curtain, fire tanks, extinguishers, 
automatic sprinkler systems, hose, hooks, axes and fire alarm 
systems. 

The stage skylight is probably the most important protec- 
tive device installed in a theater, for it provides an immediate 
vent for suffocating gases, which might otherwise belch out 
into the auditorium and reach the galleries at the early stages 
of a fire. The asbestos curtain is next in importance for it 
serves a similar purpose and also acts as a screen between the 
audience and the fire — and from a moral standpoint may pre- 
vent panic by cutting off the view of the fire. The automatic 

104 



FIRE APPARATUS AND WATER SUPPLY 105 



sprinkler system ranks with the two above, for it may be de- 
pended upon in most cases to extinguish stage fires. 

In the second place, come the auxiliary features : Exit lights, 
exit doors and shutters, together with their key parts and their 
surfaces. 

In the third place, I name the localities which flames must 
never enter: the projection booth, the closets, the elevator 
shafts and pits, and the fan, machine and locker rooms. 

In the fourth place, I list the gravest menaces : Defective 
electrical equipment, rubbish, unguarded electric lights, oily 
waste, and smoking — the last to be strictly forbidden so far 
as personnel is concerned. 

In the fifth place, I call attention again to organization of 
management and personnel in regard to prevention, report- 
ing, and control of conflagration. 

How are these five standards maintained ? The answer is : 
Constant Vigilance. The official who, after the house man- 
ager, is responsible for blaze conditions, is the chief engineer. 
His duties in this connection are complex, yet they are mo- 
mentarily imperative. He must carry them out to the last 
letter. Accordingly, I will not express them in essay form, 
but will outline them, so that every detail has a clear-cut mean- 
ing of its own. I hope thus not only to make the subject 
clear, but more especially to provide the reader with a model 
form, which may be copied or reprinted from these pages, and 
serve as an effective monthly report. 

REPORT OF FIRE INSPECTION 
By Chief Engineer 

A. APPARATUS 

1. Fire Tanks: 

a. Repainting 

b. Level of water-pails near by 

c. Repairing 

d. Replacement 

e. Accessibility — material piled around 

f . Other information 

2. Extinguishers : 

a. Refilling — level of acid in bottle and level of soda solu- 
tion 



106 MOTION PICTURE THEATER MANAGEMENT 



b. Dating on tag — recharged within one year 

c. Missing 

d. Inspection of nozzle and hose by means of thin wire 

e. Accessibility — material piled around 

3. Fire Hooks and Axes: 

a. Condition 

b. Missing 

c. Accessible 

4. Fire Alarm Systems: 

a. When tested last ? 

b. Box on stage accessible? 

c. If no box in theater, do employees know location near- 

est box and telephone number of fire department? 

5. Asbestos Curtain: 

a. Condition 

b. Operation 

6. Automatic Sprinklers: 

a. Supply tank full 

b. Valves open 

c. Sprinkler heads unobstructed 

7. Stage Skylight: 

a. Operative condition 

b. When tested 

c. Rope and knife accessible 

8. Hose: 

a. Properly racked 

b. Good condition 

c. Nozzle in place 

d. Hose valve O.K. 



b. exits 

1. Lights: 

Condition inside and outside lights 

2. Doors : 

a. Condition — Tested by opening 

b. Door checks and Hardware — Panic-lock working 

c. Unobstructed 

3. Fire Doors and Shutters: 

a. Operation 

b. Mechanism and ropes 

c. Lubrication 

d. Fusible links should not be painted 

4. Fire Escapes or Exit Passageways: 

a. Followed through to street 

b. Clear of ice or snow 



FIRE APPARATUS AND WATER SUPPLY 107 



c. Clear of trunks, scenery, etc. 

d. Gates in courts or alleys opened 

C. PARTS OF BUILDING 

1. Projection Booth: 

a. Cleanliness 

b. Rubbish 

c. Oily waste 

d. Film cuttings 

e. Fireproof containers for film 

f . Shutters in place 

g. Fusible devices in shutters in operative condition 

h. Safety devices in machines operative 

i. Extinguishers 

2. Closets : 

a. Condition and cleanliness 

b. Combustible materials 

3. Elevator Shafts and Pits: 

a. Cleanliness 

b. Obstructions, rubbish 

4. Fan, Machine and Locker Rooms: 

a. Cleanliness 

b. Obstructions 

c. Rubbish and inflammable materials 

d. Benches, lockers, etc. 

e. Bearings lubricated 

f. Electrical equipment 

5. Dressing Rooms: 

a. Lights guarded 

b. Smoking 

c. Miscellaneous heating devices 

d. causes of fire 

1. Oily Waste: 

a. Safety cans 

b. Daily emptying 

2. Electric Lights: 

a. Unguarded 

b. Near combustible material 

3. Smoking : 

a. Departments 

b. Individuals 

4. Electric Wiring: 

a. Temporary wiring 

b. Fuses 

c. Condition insulation, joints, etc. 



108 MOTION PICTURE THEATER MANAGEMENT 



5. Ashes and Rubbish: 

a. Metal cans 

b. Ashes kept away from wood partitions or combustible 

material 

e. personnel 

1. Management: 

a. Instructions 

b. Inspections 

c. Reports 

d. Fire Drills 

2. Employees : 

a. Cleanliness of building 

b. Precautions and rules 

c. Smoking 

The matter of prevention, of course, is not left to one man, 
nor is it to be taken for granted. Management is required, 
in this connection, to frame a definite policy and to conduct a 
formal routine. In order that employees may fully under- 
stand what is required, there should be clear instructions, pos- 
sibly printed, as to regulations; and also there must be fire 
drills at regular intervals. In such procedure, department 
heads call upon the superintendent of the building and the 
house manager in instructing employees to greatest advantage. 
The lessons thus taught are : How to send fire alarms ; how 
to telephone if fire is discovered; how to use extinguishers; 
how to comport oneself. 

In case of fire, it is the principle duty of employees gen- 
erally to look out for the safety of patrons. Ushers go to 
posts, where they remain. Some open exit doors and direct 
people to safety. Others are stationed at stairways, per- 
mitting no one to go up, except an employee in the perform- 
ance of duty. Above all, every one from the house manager 
to the page boy does everything in his power to reassure and 
to calm, by cool manner, bearing, speech, and direction. Each 
employee should be drilled, in case he discovers fire (see Regu- 
lations on page 64), to act as follows: 

1. Keep cool and behave without excitement. 

2. Call the Fire Department. 



FIRE APPARATUS AND WATER SUPPLY 109 



3. Inform the house manager of the location of the fire. 

4. Attempt to put out the fire by means of extinguishers or 

hose. 

5. Make a thorough search of the house to be sure no one is 

left in rest rooms or other out-of-the-way places. 

6. Continue the performance as far as possible. Have organ 

or orchestra continue playing. Make announcement from 
stage as far as is possible. 

When the notice is received by the house manager, he takes 
full charge; or, in his absence, the assistant manager. The 
first step is to send in an alarm to the city departments by 
telephone or fire-box. Remain at the fire alarm box until the 
department arrives. At the same time, an assistant telephones 
to the stage to have the asbestos curtain lowered, and stage 
skylight opened, and notifies all departments as to the en- 
dangered spot. 

The actual fighting of the blaze is directed by the Super- 
intendent. He goes to the place at once and attempts to ex- 
tinguish or control. The only permissible alternate is a house 
fireman who may be assigned to the theater to act for the 
city authorities. In either case, assistance is rendered chiefly 
by a specially assigned crew, who have the prime responsibility 
of this task. Other employees, as has been explained, de- 
vote themselves to the care of patrons. The crew itself con- 
sists of the engineer, his assistants, and the porters. They sim- 
ply obey orders; for example, they never turn the hose on, 
except by order of the Superintendent, his representative, or 
a member of the city fire department. 

The night watchman naturally plays a very special role in 
this connection. He reports for duty at 10:45, an< ^ patrols 
the theater until 7 a.m. He makes use of the clock at every 
station, and goes his rounds every hour. He turns off all un- 
necessary lights, and closes and secures the doors and the 
windows. In case of fire, he gives the alarm, attempts to 
control the flames, and then notifies the manager or the house 
manager by telephone. 



110 MOTION PICTURE THEATER MANAGEMENT 



WATER SUPPLY 

Without unduly stressing the connection between the two 
topics of this chapter, let me say that the matter of water, 
fundamental to all life, is one deserving close attention by the- 
ater management. More pointedly, since water is one of the 
commodities a theater buys and uses, the question of economy 
must be raised here as well as elsewhere. The financial factor 
is waste; and in this connection, waste means leakage. A 
dripping faucet destroys fifteen gallons a day; one running 
with an opening of an eighth of an inch consumes 3806 gallons 
— a day! Need I point out the simple truism that leaks make 
larger bills ? 

In order to grapple with the problem of prevention, it is 
essential to understand meters. There are two kinds, the cir- 
cular reading dial and the straight. I shall deal with them in 
order. 




CIRCULAR READING DIAL 



Meters indicate the amount of water used, either in cubic 
feet or in gallons, according to the unit upon which charges 
are based. For purposes of convenience I shall refer only 
to measurement in cubic feet. For circular meters the read- 
ing is conducted as in the case of a register of gas or electric- 
ity. For example : 

The illustration above shows a reading of 79,584 cubic 



FIRE APPARATUS AND WATER SUPPLY 111 



feet, as determined in the following manner: Place the num- 
ber indicated by the hand on the "10" circle in the units place, 
and the figure indicated by the hand on the "100" circle in 
the tens place, and so on : 



When a hand on one of the circles is in any position between 
two figures, take the lower number as the reading. If the 
hand seems precisely on the figure, observe whether the hand 
on the next lower circle has passed zero. If this is the case, 
the count should be taken for the figure which the hand on the 
higher circle seems to indicate, but not otherwise. 



Assuming that the present reading indicates 79,584 and that 
the previous reading was 69,584, the difference between the 
two figures, or 10,000, would be the number of cubic feet 
(or gallons) of water consumed during the intervening period. 

It is never necessary to reset the registers. When the hand 
or pointer of the circle of the highest denomination has made 
a complete revolution, the hand on every circle will point to 
"o." For example, should the register illustrated indicate 



4 

80 
500 
9,000 
70,000 



79,584 cu. ft. 




STRAIGHT READING DIAL 



112 MOTION PICTURE THEATER MANAGEMENT 



79,584, and then at the next reading show a registration of 
only 6,248, to obtain the total reading it would be necessary 
to add to the latter reading 100,000. In other words, the con- 
sumption indicated by the meter between the two readings would 
be 106,248 — 79,584, or 26,664 cubic feet (or gallons). The 
same principle, of course, applies to the straight reading type 
of meter. 

The small denomination circle found on all meters and regis- 
tering either one cubic foot or ten gallons is used for test- 
ing purposes only, being disregarded in the regular readings. 
One complete rotation of the hand indicates measurement of 
the amount printed on the dial (i.e., one cubic foot, or ten 
gallons). 

One cubic foot is equal to 7^ gallons of water. This type 
of meter is read like an automobile speedometer. 

HOW TO DETECT WATER LEAKS 

If the consumption of water appears abnormal or if you 
wish to be sure there is no leak, make the following test : 

Let the water stay on, but have all outlets closed; and do 
not draw any water during the test, which should continue 
for 10 or 15 minutes. Watch the hands on the meter marked 
"ten gallons'* or "one cubic foot." This dial is divided into 
ten parts, each division being one gallon or one tenth of a 
cubic foot. If this hand continues to move, a leak is indicated. 
The size can be determined by timing the meter: i.e., one- 
tenth in 15 minutes, two-tenths in 15 minutes, etc. 

A leak at the wash basin or sink can be easily located. The 
water can be seen dripping from the faucet ; but a leak at the 
water closet is hard to find. Sometimes yard hydrants, street 
washers, and underground pipes leak, and the water soaks 
away in the ground. If possible, a leaky pipe or fixture should 
be shut off until repaired. 

If there is a leak call a plumber immediately. Do not allow 
waste to continue indefinitely. It adds to your bill every 
minute. Of all losses, this is one of the most readily detectable, 
the most easily preventable. 



FIRE APPARATUS AND WATER SUPPLY 113 



BUILDING AND ITS CONSTRUCTION 

In closing this section on plant and structure, I wish to 
offer the reader an outline which shall serve, not merely as 
a summary, but as a guide in building and as a check in main- 
tenance. The chart printed below is intended to establish the 
logical sequence of developing the various divisions of a new 
theater project. When it is followed in a thorough and sys- 
tematic manner, it will create an efficient and valuable in- 
vestment, and will result in reduced maintenance and replace- 
ment costs. 



THE SEQUENCE OF A NEW THEATER 
BUILDING PROJECT 



Selection of Site 



Preliminary Design 
and Plan 



Preliminary Cost 

Estimate, including 
Architect's Fees } 
etc. 



Development Stage 

The first step is a thorough analysis of the general 
locality from the viewpoint of prospective business, 
competitive situation and sub-rental possibilities. The 
space requirements, establishing in a fairly definite 
way the areas required for the stage auditorium, public 
space, lobbies, foyers, rest rooms, sub-rentals, etc., 
must be worked out in a general layout plan prepared 
by either architect or engineer. The next step is 
definitely to name the architect, so that preliminary 
layouts may be studied and developed in the most 
efficient way, with proper relationship to design and 
requirements. Stage space, seating capacity, lobby 
space and other details are in this way established. 
Then equipment requirements are developed. 

The above information makes possible a preliminary or 
estimated cost. This gives the information required 
for financing — (a) Cost of plot; (b) Cost of building 
estimated on a cubic foot basis; (c) Cost of equip- 
ment. 



Details and Speci- 
fications 



Architecture 



Contracting Stage 

Complete working drawings, details and specifications 
must be prepared by the Architect, covering every 
item of construction, decoration and equipment. The 
problems arising in connection with these items should 
be considered in an orderly manner. The divisions of 
these problems are indicated below together with an 
itemized list of the major items involved under each 
heading. 

(a) Plans to be worked out in detail; (b) Decision as 
to type of construction; (c) Decision as to exterior 
and design, materials and equipment; (d) Develop- 
ment of the exterior. 



114 MOTION PICTURE THEATER MANAGEMENT 



Acoustics 
Boilers 
Box Office 

Bronze or ornamen- 
tal iron 
Built-in Furniture 
Coilings 

Commercial Building 

Construction 

Display Frames 

Electric Wiring 

Elevators 

Excavation 

Exterior Design 

Fire escapes 

Fireproofing 

Floor plans 

Floor surfacing 

Foundation 

Glass 

Hardware 



Heating 
Interior Design 
Iron work 
Lighting 

Lighting Fixtures 
Lobbies 
Lumber finish 
Marble 
Marquise 
Mirrors 
Orchestra lift 
Organ lift 
Partitions 
Plastering 
Plumbing 
Power plant 
Projection room 
Public rooms 
Pumps, tanks 
Refrigeration 
Eoofs 



Screening room 

Service rooms 

Shafts and ducts 

Skylights 

Sprinkler system 

Stage 

Stairs 

Stone or brick 
Store fronts 
Switchboard 
Tank housing 
Telegraph system 
Terra cotta 
Tile 

Vacuum system 
Ventilation 
Wall finishes 
Waterproofing 
Window and door 
openings. 



Engineering All mechanical and special equipment problems come 

under this heading. The architect coordinates with 
the engineer. 



Interior Decorating 



Interior decoration and furnishing, while considered 
a separate undertaking which often involves the 
service of a decorator, should be carried out in close 
cooperation with the architect, so that decorations are 
harmonious with the architectural design. 



Designs 

Paintings 

Decorations 



Wall covering 
Murals 

Wood finishes 



Decorative Equip- 
ment 



Art objects 
Curtains 

Drapes and cov- 
ers 

Floor coverings 
— carpets, etc. 



Furniture — Pub- 
lic rooms 

Paintings 

Public rooms 
furniture 

Standard Lamps 

Wall hangings 



Equipment 



Here should be considered the requirements of what 
constitutes theater equipment which is not classified 
above. (See Equipment listed in Chapter 9.) 



Box office equipment 

Lockers 

Music stands 

Office furniture 

Organ 

Pianos 

Portable stage lighting 



Scenery 
Screen 

Seat indicators 
Signs 

Stage draperies 
Stage furniture 
Theater seats 



Fixed Charges All fixed charges are included under this caption 

Building permit 
Bond cost 

Insurance: Contingent liability; Fire; Cyclone 

Taxes 

Interest. 



FIRE APPARATUS AND WATER SUPPLY 115 

Contracts Only when all working drawings, details and specifi- 

cations are complete, should the question of actual con- 
tracts be considered. Here arises the selection of con- 
tractors — not necessarily the lowest bidders, but those 
who by experience and reputation are best fitted for 
the work. Contract bids should be taken through the 
architect. 

Supervision It is the architect's function, and that of the engineer, 

to carry out constant supervision, insuring the proper 
performance of contracts. The owner should receive 
reports and should hold meetings with contractor, 
builder, engineer, and all concerned, at regular in- 
tervals, to watch the progress of the job. 

Experience has shown that where plans and specifica- 
tions are properly developed originally, there should be 
few extras. 



Part IV 
Personnel 



CHAPTER XII 



The Function of Personnel 

BUILDINGS and equipment are inert. They are life- 
less. Of themselves, they have no more power to cre- 
ate, than a ruined temple on the banks of the Nile. 
One of the blankest things on the face of this earth is a de- 
serted farmhouse, or an untenanted factory. It is the presence 
of the human element that vibrates an institution with life. 
A man who puts up a handsome theater and furnishes it 
superbly — but does no more — may be a leading builder or a 
gifted decorator ; but he is no operator. He must not merely 
know how to handle people. He must know how to handle 
people through other people. 

Therein lies the function of personnel: A group of people 
multiplying the effectiveness of a dominant and guiding per- 
sonality. Just as, in a healthy body, the brain controls the 
limbs without itself appearing to the eyes of an observer, so 
in a sound theatrical enterprise, the vitality of one policy throbs 
in the smile at the box office, in the alertness of the ushers, in 
the harmony of the orchestra, in the smooth efficiency of the 
projectionist's work, in the very dance movements of the stage 
ballet. 

I have pointed out, before, how enormously the duties of 
management have branched out in a modern theater, and how 
many hands are required to execute a single policy on a vast 
scale. The same is true of smaller houses. No one dreams 
of running his theater single-handed. The successful oper- 
ator, knowing that he has to sell his house to hold his public, 
is just as keen on the subject of personnel as on the quality 
of the show or the attractiveness of the environment. 

Granting the importance of the issue — and I have no doubt 
that any sensible person would grant it — there still remains 
much to say of the substance. For there are at least as many 

119 



120 MOTION PICTURE THEATER MANAGEMENT 



different types of employee in a motion picture theater as 
there are functions and departments. The mere listing of 
these groups, together with their duties and their supervision, 
makes a bulky report, no matter how briefly one may essay 
to express it. Hence the devotion of so much space in this 
volume to the explanation of man-power; and hence the sub- 
division into chapters to make the individual factors distinct. 

Yet to plunge into so many details without an intelligible 
bird's-eye view might result in some natural confusion. I 
take time and space at this juncture, therefore, to approach 
the subject with a presentation of the salient features of the 
entire field, in order that I may thereafter proceed to each of 
those features with the assurance that it is fitted into its 
place in the larger plan. 

What, first of all, does a theater management do? It re- 
ceives people, it seats people, it cares for and protects people. 
It amuses them and entertains them. It runs a plant in a 
clean and attractive manner. It handles money in receipts, 
disbursements, profits, investments. It engages, trains, super- 
vises, discharges, promotes a varying number of workers. 

For every such function, there is a department. I have 
elucidated the organization before; but for the sake of con- 
venience I will give the list again briefly here: Service, pro- 
ducing, housekeeping, and finance. In each of these major 
groups there are divisions and sub-divisions. There are street- 
men, doormen, floormen, ushers, musicians, pages, cashiers, 
clerks, maids, dancers, vocalists, projectionists, stage hands, 
porters. All along the line there are department heads or 
group captains. In other words, whether you look at the 
top, at the bottom, or at the middle of this regiment, where- 
ever your eye rests on a single point of the organization, you 
will find a single individual. What I mean is that a manager 
or a captain or a porter is one person— neither more nor less. 

Now, on the other hand, the theater must be just one the- 
ater — very definitely just one theater. And I claim that the 
ideal in utilizing personnel is to establish the unique charac- 
ter of the house in the specific task of the individual. He 
or she will sell a ticket, or seat a patron, or run a projection 



THE FUNCTION OF PERSONNEL 121 



machine, or play a violin, not only as a recognizable man or 
woman, but in a recognizable way — the theater's way, the 
management's way. 

Then the first thing the management must do is to obey 
the ancient injunction: Know thyself. What is the policy 
of my theater? To what audience am I appealing? What 
do they like? What might they tend to like? What are the 
resources of the industry ready to supply the demand? What 
new resources must I create? If I aim at a metropolitan at- 
tendance, I must create a reputation for exquisite, precise serv- 
ice. If I seek a neighborhood attendance, I must establish a 
warm and friendly reception for them. If my patrons are 
poorer folk from the humbler walks of life, I must not op- 
press or repel them with a solicitude they are likely to mistake 
for a condescension. 

Then the management, not vaguely, but sharply aware of 
its aim, must break it up into convenient divisions. This 
much I assign to my uniformed staff. These duties will be 
cared for by my production staff ; these, by the housekeepers ; 
these, by the bookkeepers. Since I cannot run after each and 
every page boy or drummer or porter, this man will be my 
house manager, this other, my production manager. I choose 
them because each is fit for his field, and all are fit to in- 
struct, to lead. I gather them about me; I charge them with 
the success of my venture; I confide to them my plan and 
my dream. I set them to their responsibilities, I lean on them, 
I guide. 

They, in turn, select their aids and subordinates and, pass- 
ing my wishes down to the last and the least, reflect my vi- 
sioned theater in many minds and many hands. They not 
merely teach me to my employees, but they return again and 
again to relearn the lesson from me, to reapply it down the 
line, till the perfection of practice and supervision and con- 
stant checking makes my theater shine from the face and the 
acts of every one of us. For this I reward performance with 
promotion, bringing the lowly up from the ranks to lead in 
their turn. Before my ideal I am humble to learn — I listen 
and observe, as well as show the way. 



122 MOTION PICTURE THEATER MANAGEMENT 



Perhaps none of my patrons will ever meet me face to face. 
But in each step they take about my theater they will find 
a something that is I. Just as the plan and the ornament and 
the equipment have been my choice, so the smile of the usher 
is my cordiality; and in the voice of the orchestra my ambition 
is singing. When people observe an athlete, they do not think 
of the brain which is invisible to them. Yet they say : "What 
coordination! What response !" When people leave my 
lobby, they do not think of me as a man, but if I hear them 
say, "How perfectly managed!" or if the crowds come back 
again and again and again, they may not realize it, but it is I 
that they have come to know. 

The manager who can thus commune with himself, and 
can convey the contagion of his spirit to others, has the emo- 
tional driving power to make something better than a herd 
of helpers, or a human machine. He brings into existence a 
a super-personality, a social entity. His theater is as easily 
pointed out and recognized as the face or the name or the 
record of a person of prominence. For that reason, let me 
repeat : The real function of personnel exists only when many 
persons multiply by their number the effectiveness of a domi- 
nant and a guiding personality. 

So much for the ideal, and for the emotion that moves it. 
What are some of the practical steps whereby the aim is 
achieved every work day in the week? To begin with, it is 
a profitable measure to have a printed leaflet outlining the 
standard to be maintained, together with individual sets of 
rules and instructions for the various groups. If the manager 
does not feel equal to expressing himself on paper in a style 
he would wish others to respect, he can assign the task to one 
of his staff, or get some representative of the local press to 
draw the thing up for him. If it is worked out carefully, 
and enough copies are made, the service manual will save 
time and trouble for years, at a comparatively low initial cost. 

The engaging of employees should be governed by the policy 
of the house, since random employment makes for many mis- 
fits. Naturally, theater employees should be selected largely on 
the basis of appearance; and employees in any kind of business 



THE FUNCTION OF PERSONNEL 123 



must show promise of working sympathetically with superiors. 
Concerning the two weeks of probationary employment, I 
will speak in detail in Chapter Eighteen. Concerning advance- 
ment, I add only the caution that it should be made on the 
basis of merit alone. Any other method means the defeat 
of policy by disruption and disgruntlement. Where good 
will is the fruit, the seed is initiative; every one wants to 
grow and spread. 

Concerning the general conduct of personnel, I believe 
firmly that management is entitled, not merely to expect, but 
to exact the best. Workers are not merely to preserve good 
appearance, but to behave well. Hence, there should be no 
eating, chewing, smoking on duty. Loud talking is vulgar 
and distasteful; certainly there should never be comment of 
any sort concerning patrons. I have already referred to the 
policy of the Statler Hotels. Mr. Statler, in his "Service 
Code/' not only delivers a message to his employees, but in the 
same words voices a pledge to the public, with a practical 
adaptation of the Golden Rule: "In all your dealings with 
people, guests or employers, do unto others as you would have 
them do unto you." A theater can operate on this basis if 
department heads understand their business and are alert to 
promote it. The rule, of course, works both ways. The right 
kind of effort should be encouraged by the right kind of re- 
ward. Occasional meetings or smokers, at which light re- 
freshments are served, make a good background for the pro- 
motion of good will. 

There is one other means of dealing with the public that 
should be put to service whenever occasion arises — corres- 
pondence. Attention should be given to letter-writing re- 
gardless of the cause. A note of courtesy and cordiality 
should characterize every communication, whether in connec- 
tion with a bill, a claim, or an article lost. The letter head 
should be neat, but individual. The tone should be friendly, 
the wording concise, the information accurate. Correspond- 
ence should work for good will as effectively as a good em- 
ployee would work for it. 



CHAPTER XIII 



The Service Staff 



HIS chapter deals with the employees, chiefly uni- 



formed, with whom the public comes in actual con- 



tact. Their collective name, as I have said before, 
is the Service Staff. 

The House Manager I have described in Chapter IV. I 
have likewise explained the Staff, in general, in several places. 
What I wish to do now is to analyze the sub-divisions in de- 
tail. 



The floor managers are charged with the responsibility of 
enforcing the policies of the theater. On account of his close 
contact with the patrons and the service staff, the floor 
manager has a splendid opportunity to build up a satisfied 
patronage and a loyal force of employees. He should make 
his influence felt in securing a reasonable spirit of satisfac- 
tion among employees, since a loyal and satisfied staff is 
essential to give patrons efficient and satisfactory attention. 
He cooperates with and works under the direction of the 
house manager in the superintendence of the service staff. 
He supervises all details relating to the corps, reporting to the 
house manager those who do unsatisfactory work, as well 
as those who are commendable. He directs uniformed em- 
ployees in their duties, and assists in all possible ways to se- 
cure speedy and courteous service. During peak loads he 
should always be in command of the service on the floor, re- 
ceiving complaints from patrons and carrying them through 
to the house manager to a prompt and satisfactory conclu- 
sion. Whether reasonable or not, all complaints must re- 
ceive courteous attention, and should be settled to the satis- 
faction of the patron. The senior floor manager must set 
an example to other employees by his appearance. 




FLOOR MANAGERS 



124 



THE SERVICE STAFF 



125 



There are two or three floor managers in charge of the 
large sized theater, who in addition to the assistant manager 



HLPPSS20ME 








LCCAT iOH 


SUN. 


UOR. 


TUES. 


WED. 


THURS. 








AFT EVE. 




AFT. EVE. 


AFT. EVE. 




AFT. EVE. 


AFT EVE. 




HEAO USHER 
































ASSISTANT 
































BOX OFHCE 
































5S» BOX OFFICE 
































1ST door^an- 
































2Nt> DOORMAN 
































TICKET COLLECTOR 
BOX EXCHANGE 
































ORCHESTRA 
































'■ ..^P '" s_ 
































































**? . •;. .-. 






























































































































22—. i 






























«TH* - EXTRA 
































*» : - 
































9T» " 






























5T» EXTRA 






























5m " 
















! 




| 










es - . .._ 
































































MEZZANINE 
. !rr AISLE 
































































s» - _ 
































MAID 
































BALCONY 

1ST AISLE 












! 


















2w> - 












1 


















,■ .-,*»—; ■ ... ,» ' 
































*» 
































































































CENTER STAIRS 
































ESCALATOR 
































PAGE BOY 
















-4- 















































FIGURE 8 

Service Staff Report 



and house manager must be on duty during the peak hours 
of business; at no time, furthermore, is the floor to be with- 
out at least one manager. At times of shifts, changes must be 



126 MOTION PICTURE THEATER MANAGEMENT 



made in the presence of the floor manager in charge, who 
shall inspect the appearance of the employees before they take 
their posts. (Figure 8.) Such shifts should be made in 
military formation. The floor managers shall be appropriately 
uniformed, with distinguishing marks that establish their ranks 
(Figure 9). 

Emergency duties are performed in accordance with the 
policies formulated by the management. In case of alarm of 
fire, the house manager shall be considered the responsible 
officer; in his absence, the floor manager takes his place. 
The officer in charge shall see to it that all employees are at 
their posts, in accordance with the fire drill, and shall see 
that the fire alarm is sent through to the city fire department. 
He shall allay apprehension. Fire drills are to be held every 
three weeks. 

In case of accident to a patron, the floor manager shall 
summon the doctor and the nurse, so that patron may receive 
adequate care. The person is to be removed to the first aid 
room, if there is one ; or else to the rest room. The floor 
manager must make out a detailed report as to such accident 
or illness. 

PROCEDURE FOR REPORTING ACCIDENTS 

1. All accidents to patrons or the public inside or about the 
theater should be reported. 

2. Any occurrences which might conceivably involve the 
management in suits should be reported. This would include 
such things as arrests, ejection or barring-out of undesirable 
patrons, fights or disturbances, either between patrons them- 
selves or between employees and patrons. Even though there 
is no personal injury, report should be made. Injury to 
clothes of patrons should be reported. 

3. All accidents, no matter where occurring, should be re- 
ported; for instance, any occurring in connection with bill- 
posting away from the premises, exploitation, publicity, etc., 
even though there would appear to be no liability, should be 
as carefully covered as those occurring on the premises. 

4. There should be no delay in the investigation or mak- 



THE SERVICE STAFF 



127 



ing of a report. All of the facts possible should be gathered 
at the time of the occurrence. Statements, names, and ad- 
dresses of witnesses should be obtained at this time, as should 
also the statement of the injured person. It will be much 
simpler to obtain this information on the spot than to obtain 
it later. 

5. A report should be filled out and mailed at once, one 
copy to be mailed to the Insurance Agent, and a second to be 
kept on file. 

6. The report should be as comprehensive as possible with- 
out magnifying the injury or the situation in the injured per- 
son's mind by the method of obtaining information. 

7. Make frequent inspections of your theater and be con- 
stantly on guard against anything that may contribute to 
an accident even in the slightest degree. After an accident, 
immediately investigate carefully as to the cause. Do not 
assume it was entirely the patron's fault. You may discover 
a condition which could not have been disclosed by ordinary 
reasonable inspection, but which will serve as a warning for 
the future. Improve lighting, tightening of floor or stair 
carpets, installation of hand rails, or other minor changes 
which might help to prevent a repetition of similar occurrences. 

If it should be necessary to eject any one from the theater 
because of objectionable or improper conduct, such action is 
taken under the direction of the house manager or floor man- 
ager, in case of the absence of the former. While it is the 
duty of every employee to report such actions to his superior, 
the responsibility rests with the house or floor manager. 

In some theaters a house officer is employed to assist in 
maintaining good order when necessary, to cooperate in 
emergencies where the safety of the patron may be involved, 
to help in keeping undesirables out of the theater, and to 
"patrol" the theater. He must exercise tact and discretion, 
so as not to offend, for that would react unfavorably against 
the house. 

To return to the floor manager : He is responsible to his 
senior for the general appearance, conduct and assignment 
of work of ushers and pages. He will inspect the employees 



128 MOTION PICTURE THEATER MANAGEMENT 



for whom he is responsible, prior to their going on duty. 
Their hair must be neatly combed, their shoes polished, their 
faces, hands, and finger nails scrupulously clean. At the 
peak hours, the senior floor manager will be in charge of the 
orchestra floor, and a floor manager will be in charge of each 
of the mezzanine and balcony floors. Complete regulation 
uniforms, including white collars and black shoes, must be 
worn by ushers (Figure 9). The floor manager shall have 
authority to require necessary changes, and to report any ab- 
sence or tardiness to the senior floor manager for reduction 
in pay. A high standard of neatness, cleanliness and atten- 
tion to dress must be maintained. It is the duty of the floor 
manager to see that all uniforms worn by employees under his 
direction are in proper condition and to instruct employees 
that the house tailor will clean and press clothing as often as 
necessary. 

Ushers are responsible to the floor manager when on duty. 
In discharging his responsibilities, the latter should constantly 
impress upon employees under his supervision that strict at- 
tention to the requirements set by the management is the best 
method they can pursue to secure advancement. 

He should give to newly employed ushers a printed set of 
instructions, which may be made to read as follows : 

INSTRUCTIONS TO USHERS 

Loyalty to your work requires that you help in every way 
to maintain the standard of the theater. 

The purpose of these instructions is to set before you the 
standards of action which will be of service to the patron, 
the theater, and your fellow employees. 

Good manners, courtesy, and consideration for others should 
be noticeable in your conduct. 

Ushers or other employees should never exhibit haste or 
impatience to a patron. A quiet attentive manner will go a 
long way toward convincing a patron that employees are try- 
ing to please. 

Employees should always be ready to render little courtesies, 
such as picking up articles dropped, assisting with wraps, etc. 



THE SERVICE STAFF 



129 



While on duty, employees should confine their conversation 
with fellow employees to matters pertaining to their work. 

Profane, abusive, or boisterous language, and "gossipy" 
conversation about patrons is always out of place. Humming, 
whistling, chewing gum, and smoking on the premises are ab- 
solutely prohibited. 

Employees must clearly understand the schedules of em- 
ployment, So that there may be no misunderstanding, the 
floor manager shall furnish each employee with a schedule 
card which shows the days and shifts of employment. The 
Captain in charge checks the cards of employees as to cor- 
rectness of time. The cards are taken up at the end of the 
week. They then serve as time cards from which payrolls 
are prepared. I give herewith a model schedule card : 



SCHEDULE CAR D 

Week cf _ , 

t4»m* tJ _ L Rate 

e>^«trn^«. t . Report toCaptain 

Assignment 1 BALCONY AISLE 
11 ORCHESTRA 

MON. TUE. , WED, THURS. FRl. SAT. SUN. 

A.M. ■ r— — I ■ 



P.M. 



eve , 

The above indicates the days and hotrrs whan you are to report. Tune indicated means-at post in full uniform, 
all salorias are paid by checks each Tuesday foHowin^ the dose of .the week. 



Rates of pay must be established (varying according to 
the type of theater and location) and should be filled in on 
schedule cards at the time of employment. There should be 
a training period of two weeks, during which the rate of pay 
is to be one-half of the regular rate. Payment for the train- 
ing period is made upon completion, and those who do not 
complete, should not receive any compensation. All em- 
ployees are engaged with the clear understanding that they 
must meet with the approval of the management and may be 



130 MOTION PICTURE THEATER MANAGEMENT 



dismissed without notice, if the management deems it neces- 
sary. It is good practice, however, to give and to expect 
one week's notice from employees who leave or are discharged. 
Rates of pay should be such as to preclude tipping, which is 
forbidden. 

Training periods shall be conducted at stated intervals, be- 
fore the theater is opened to the public, three or four morn- 
ings each week. The first week of training is devoted to 
morning sessions. The second week, the recruit is placed in 
uniform and in actual service under the close supervision 
of the captain in charge. Among the earliest instructions 
there should be a lesson on the matter of articles lost or 
found, on the basis of some such form as this : 

LOST AND FOUND 

All employees must turn all articles or packages found in 
seats or elsewhere in the theater to their immediate superior. 
The apparent value of the article does not permit of any ex- 
ception to this rule. A record of all articles found is to be 
made in duplicate, one copy to be sent to house manager's 
office, the other to be kept in the Lost and Found Department. 

These forms are to be filed in the house manager's office. 
If there is an identification mark or name, the house manager 
shall make every effort to find the address, and a letter should 
be sent to the owner, informing him of the finding of the 
article. 

Every article found should be carefully wrapped and marked 
for identification with same number as on Lost Article Record, 
so that it may be readily traced. Jewelry, money, or other 
valuable articles are to be placed in the house manager's safe, 
and so marked on the record form. 

Articles of considerable value as well as money or jewelry 
are kept for at least a year. All such should be advertised in 
papers before they are disposed of. 

Inexpensive articles or small sums of money should be given 
to the finder after sixty days, but every effort must be made 
to return articles to owners. 

When patrons report the loss of articles, they should be 



LOST ARTICLE No.. 



LOST AND FOUND DEPARTMENT 



NAME- 



REPORTED 



DATE- 

DAY- 



STREET.. 
CITY 



WHERE LOST. 



F LETTER MAILED 



L LETTER MAILED 



OWNER'S SIGNATURE OF RECEIPT: 



Please sign here 



Initials or full name 
APARTMENT. 



.TIME LOST- 



DATE— 

DAY 

HOUR- 



FILLED OUT BY_ 



OATE- 
DAY— 



(Reverse) 



ARTICLE- 



DESCRIPTION OF ARTICLE 



.MATERIAL OR COMPOSITION. 



SIZE. 



LEFT OR RIGHT- 
CONDITION 

VALUE 



LINING. 



WRAPPING (KIND). 
CONTENTS 



MANUFACTURER. 



IDENTIFICATION MARKS- 



MISCELLANEOUS DESCRIPTION. 



FIGURE 10 

Lost and Found Forms 



132 MOTION PICTURE THEATER MANAGEMENT 



referred to the employee in charge of the Lost and Found 
counter, who shall make out a Lost Article Report (Figure 
10) which shall be made out in duplicate, a copy to be kept 
by the Lost and Found clerk and the other copy to be sent 
to house manager's office. 

When loss is reported, a careful examination of found ar- 
ticle records should first be made. The house manager's office 
orders an investigation, which is followed through by the 
assistant manager who interviews employees, who may know 
something about the loss. Report is made on back of the 
lost article report, and letter should then be sent by the house 
manager to the loser, explaining the results of the investiga- 
tion. 

EXHIBIT 

LOST AND FOUND DEPARTMENT 

.192. . 

This Department regrets to inform you that no article 
corresponding to the description of that reported lost by 
you has been located here. 

Should such an article be located later this Department 
will be pleased to notify you at once. 

Yours very truly, 



Manager 



Theater 



Address 
' City' ' 

File No 

Custodian 

It is advisable to establish uniform expressions which ushers 
or other employees may use in guiding patrons, in the in- 
terests of uniformity and simplicity in handling large crowds. 
These may include such expressions as "Seats two aisles to the 
right, please," or "Seats this way, please," etc. A system of 



THE SERVICE STAFF 



133 



signaling may be established so that ushers in aisles may in- 
dicate available seats to ushers at the head of aisles — such 
signaling must not be noticeable by patrons, and must be 
carried out without any noise, but rather by the position of 
the usher and the manner in which he holds his hands. The 
right hand across the breast may indicate that there is room 
for one. Accordingly the usher at the head of the aisle invites 
one patron to pass down the aisle. Placing the right hand 
behind the back may indicate that there is room for two; 
both hands behind his back would mean there is room for 
three; placing the left hand on the breast, room for four. 
Ushers must be drilled repeatedly and carefully so that such 
signals become automatically correct. Flashlights are some- 
times used by ushers to direct the way in seating patrons — 
modern theaters, however, equip their aisles with aisle lights 
under the arms of chairs, making the use of flashlights un- 
necessary. 

Recruits must actually go through the movements of their 
duties. It is not sufficient to tell them what to do. 

Each employee must be made familiar with the physical 
characteristics of the theater, and know the whereabouts of 
all public rooms, exits, stairways, telephones, drinking foun- 
tains. A sufficient number of tours under a floor manager 
should be made, until this information is absorbed. The fire 
drill, likewise, must emphasize to all employees their tremen- 
dous responsibility in carrying out the part assigned to them. 
In this connection, each employee must be assigned a single 
responsibility. One may open a particular exit. Another 
undertakes the operation of a fire extinguisher, etc. The exact 
drill must be planned by the house manager in accordance with 
the plan of the theater, the number of employees, and the 
division of responsibilities. The location of fire extinguishers, 
house telephones, fire exits, and the local fire house must be 
clearly established in the minds of all employees, together with 
the part each is to play in the drill. 

Schedules and information as to the program should be 
made available at established points throughout the theater, so 
that this information is accessible to employees; and em- 



184 MOTION PICTURE THEATER MANAGEMENT 



ployees must understand these schedules so that they may 
make intelligent replies when questioned by patrons (Figure 
5). A leaflet containing general information of the theater 
as to policy, prices of admission, etc., may be of value in 
acquainting new employees with the essentials that are ex- 
pected of them. 

No one must leave his post without specific permission of 
floor manager. Proper drills of a military character give 
the uniformed staff suitable bearing and appearance. Such 
drills should include the "attention" position, "marching," 
"facing" both to right and left, and "dressing" into posi- 
tion. Such drills may be suggested by the infantry drill man- 
uals. Uniforms must fit employees if they are to look well, 
and if employees are expected to have sufficient pride in their 
appearance. Workers must be careful of their speech in ad- 
dressing patrons, or replying to inquiries. The tone of voice 
must be in keeping with the atmosphere of the theater. Pa- 
trons must always be approached with respect. Ushers must 
render whatever service they can to help patrons, but must 
not leave their posts. They must not obstruct the view of 
patrons by standing in aisles unnecessarily. In case of objec- 
tionable conduct on the part of any patron, they should report 
such situation to floor manager. They must keep aisles clear 
of rubbish, picking up papers or other material and placing 
them in a box in the rear. Employees stationed near doors 
should always open doors for all persons approaching them. 
Members of the uniformed staff are not to smoke on the 
premises. 

No messages should be received for employees for delivery 
during the period of duty, by telephone or otherwise, except 
in sickness or other serious emergencies. Telephone 
operators are instructed to turn all incoming calls for em- 
ployees to the floor manager, who will act in accordance with 
this rule. Uniforms are not to be worn outside of the theater 
building, excepting through permission. Personal calls from 
friends, relatives or business acquaintances during business 
hours should not be permitted. Employees should not give the 
theater as a mailing address. Changes in home address should 



THE SERVICE STAFF 



135 



be reported to the floor manager without delay, and likewise 
any exposure to contagious disease. 

Lockers should be kept locked, for the management can- 
not be responsible for losses. 

ELEVATOR OPERATORS 

The elevator operator must run his car with the maximum 
of safety, and is held strictly responsible for closing all doors 
and safety gates. The liability for accident because of an 
open gate is too great to be overlooked. Any defect in the 
closing of gates or doors should be immediately reported to the 
manager. 

The elevator operator must never leave his car while on 
duty. He must be watchful of floor signals. Smooth run- 
ning of the car is essential. There must be no "jerky" opera- 
tion. Stopping at the exact level of each floor is insisted upon. 
It should never be necessary to suggest to passengers to "Step 
up" or "down." Operators should always announce floors 
in a clear tone. Politeness, alertness and courtesy are essen- 
tial to the proper performance of the operator's duties. Oper- 
ators can be of service in answering patrons' questions and 
should be well informed as to the location of the public 
rooms in the building. They must not enter into lengthy con- 
versation with any one, but must reply briefly, yet pleasantly, 
to all queries. 

They are responsible to the floor manager in carrying out 
their work. When on duty, they must report any defect in 
the running of the car. Operators shall be suitably uniformed. 
(Figure II.) 

PAGE BOYS 

Page boys are under the direction of the floor manager. 
These boys are used as messengers within and without the 
theater building. In some theaters they assist in the check- 
ing of articles, umbrellas, etc., when there is a check room 
service. Special boys are assigned for this work. 

Page boys are used to direct visitors to the office when so 
ordered, and also to direct patrons to their destinations. The 
instructions issued to ushers should govern the conduct of 



136 MOTION PICTURE THEATER MANAGEMENT 



the page boys. The uniforms should distinguish the page boys 
from other employees. (Figure n.) 

DOORMAN 

The Doorman shall be responsible to the house manager. 
He holds a post of great importance. Coming in con- 
tact with every patron who enters the theater, he must be a 
man of good breeding and of pleasant personality. He should 
be a patient type, and possess tact and a smiling countenance. 
He should be familiar with the program schedule in order to 
give information, when asked, regarding the starting time of 
various parts of the program. 

Each person who enters the theater must have a ticket — 
this rule must be carried out without exception. Intoxicated 
persons must not be permitted in the theater. Tact is neces- 
sary to prevent such persons from making themselves obnox- 
ious. Pets or animals should not be admitted to the theater. 

The Doorman shall be uniformed so that he may be dis- 
tinguished from other employees (Figure n). A theater 
generally has two doormen, so that proper relief shifts may 
be arranged. (For further information in this connection, 
see Chapter VII.) 

STREETMEN 

In some theaters of large capacity, streetmen supervise the 
crowds in the outside lobby and on the sidewalk. These em- 
ployees are uniformed for the occasion (Figure n) and assist 
in the handling of the crowds. They are under the super- 
vision of the floor manager. 

FOOTMAN 

This employee caters to the automobile and carriage trade. 
He opens and closes the doors of all vehicles. He should be 
in a position to give information to patrons as to the pro- 
gram schedule, and as to garage and parking facilities. The 
footman's manners must be extremely courteous. A good 
impression is made if the footman bows slightly, raising his 
right hand to his cap in the form of a salute, before opening 
or closing a door. Under no circumstances should a footman 



THE SERVICE STAFF 



137 



touch a patron, unless asked to. In rainy weather the foot- 
man shall have a suitable umbrella, to protect patrons from 
the rain in coming from or going to cars. He shall likewise 
have facilities at his disposal for calling when requested. 

Vehicles of all descriptions must be kept from the curb of 
the theater entrance. The management will provide No Park- 
ing signs, through the cooperation of the police department. 
The footman should be properly uniformed (Figure n). 

Feminine Personnel 

the girl in the box office 

The cashier should be of pleasant personality and refined 
appearance. The better theaters furnish cashiers with silk 
blouses. Another little touch which has a splendid effect on 
the cashier, and makes a good impression to the public is al- 
ways to have a flower or two in a vase on a shelf, or in a 
cone shaped hanging receptacle in the box office. 

Naturally, the person selected for this work should be trust- 
worthy. 

She must answer all questions cheerfully, and when a pa- 
tron approaches the box office, the cashier should ask "How 
many, please?" and should always say "Thank you!" after 
each sale. When business moves so fast that this is not pos- 
sible, the cashier's manner must indicate the spirit which a 
"Thank you" might convey. 

The price scale must be indicated clearly at the box office 
window so that a patron may easily read the sign. Any regu- 
lations as to the admission of babes in arms, or other chil- 
dren, should also be prominently posted. 

Cashiers are to report suspicious looking persons to the 
management. In case of hold-up or robbery, cashiers are not 
expected to make unnecessary sacrifices. No one should be 
allowed in the box office excepting the manager, the house 
manager, the treasurer, or the auditor. The door must always 
be kept closed. No persons are permitted to loiter about. 
The income of a theater is information to be kept in con- 
fidence by the cashier. The cashier is responsible to the man- 



138 MOTION PICTURE THEATER MANAGEMENT 



ager, house manager, or accounting department, depending on 
the custom established by the theater. (For further informa- 
tion in this connection, see Chapter VII.) 

nurses 

Nurses are in attendance in theaters that are equipped with 
first aid rooms. Such rooms should be provided with an ade- 
quate first aid kit. Naturally, nurses are in full charge of 
the first aid room and its appearance. They wear appropriate 
uniforms, and are considered part of the uniformed staff, 
under the supervision of the house manager. 

MATRONS OR MAIDS 

These women are in charge of ladies' rest and toilet rooms. 
In the absence of a first aid room, a matron shall be in charge 
of the first aid kit. 

. The matron shall see to it that the theater's rules are obeyed 
in all the rooms devoted to women patrons and children. She 
shall be fully responsible for the appearance of the room while 
the theater is open to the public. All furniture and art objects 
must be cleaned and dusted. All wash basins, drains, and 
faucets must always be kept clean and be in good working 
order. Cleaning equipment must be placed in a closet pro- 
vided for the purpose. 

The management should furnish for its patrons suitable 
dressing table articles, such as combs, mirrors, brushes, 
powder, etc. The name of the theater may be embossed on 
these, and the maid is responsible for them. 

CONCLUSION 

Employees should be trained to consider each other, as 
well as patrons. Every one in the staff is an integral part 
of the organization. There can be no room for those who 
are out of step or out of tune. Loyalty and service are to be 
linked to cooperation in the developing of the splendid morale 
which every unit must have if it is to prosper. There is no 
better way of appraising the value of the individual than by 
observing the desire and the effort he shows to establish and 
foster the unity of the whole. 



CHAPTER XIV 



The Production Staff 




lHE term production, in the motion picture business, 



has two meanings. To the industry at large, it sig- 



nifies the manufacture or production of the film story. 
To the operator of the theater, it relates to preparing and 
rendering the program. We, of course, are concerned with 
the latter aspect. As I have pointed out already, the pro- 
duction department has the triple function of showing the pic- 
tures, of providing a musical accompaniment, and of staging 
incidental or contributive program features. The present 
chapter is devoted to the duties of the personnel entailed — 
the projectionists, the musical director, the production man- 
ager, the stage manager, and their various staffs. 



Constant improvement in booth equipment is establishing 
a more uniform quality of projection. New innovations and 
developments are contributing toward projection that is of 
standardized quality, and of a high degree of safety, all of 
which will tend towards making projection fool proof. 

In order to get most satisfactory and natural results of 
action on the screen, the projector should be run at the same 
speed as that of the camera when the scene was photographed. 
Although it is not possible at present to register and syn- 
chronize camera and projector speed automatically, never- 
theless through observation it is possible to make notation of 
the camera speed; and a speed sheet can be prepared by pro- 
ducers and furnished to projectionists. In any event, an 
accurate speed indicator is necessary as a part of permanent 
booth equipment. A speed indicator consists principally of 
a magneto of light construction, driven by the projector and 
generating a voltage in proportion to its speed. This de- 



THE PROJECTIONISTS 



139 



140 MOTION PICTURE THEATER MANAGEMENT 



vice, connected with a voltmeter, indicates calibration in feet 
per minute, and minutes per thousand feet of film speed. 

Screens may consist of cloth, plaster, reflective or beaded 
surfaces. Each of these kinds has merit, and selection should 
be made after actual experimentation to meet the requirements 
of the particular situation. 

Good projection is of utmost importance. There cannot 
be any compromise in that respect. To get efficient results, 
the projection room layout must allow for necessary walking 
space. The room must be well ventilated and should be 
equipped with every modern convenience. The rewinding 
room should be partitioned off from the projection room with 
film safes placed in the wall, dividing both rooms, with 
openings in both to permit the reels to be placed into the 
cabinet from the projection room and taken out from the op- 
posite side in the rewinding room. This makes for safe and 
orderly handling. Rheostats should be so placed that they are 
easily accessible, and wherever possible should be in a room 
other than the projection room. The de luxe projection room 
should include the following equipment : three projection ma- 
chines, two spot-lights (high intensity, in extremely large 
theaters) and two stereopticons. (Figure 12.) 

In the properly equipped and well-conducted projection 
room, there can be no bad projection. The projectors should 
be of the most advanced type; this applies to all equipment 
used in the booth. Every available mechanical aid should 
be included in the equipment— such as automatic dissolvers, 
arc controls, speedometers, electric rewinds, etc. 

The projection booth is in complete charge of the chief 
projectionist. In some cities, two shifts of projectionists are 
the rule. While one projectionist is operating machines, the 
other is examining the film that has been run, to insure proper 
running for the next showing. This also makes for a clear, 
steady picture, since one mechanic is always watching the 
picture on the screen. In smaller cities, one man operates the 
booth by himself. 

There has been marked advancement in the development of 
projectionists during the last few years. The management 



142 MOTION PICTURE THEATER MANAGEMENT 



must take great care in the selection of the personnel. Men 
selected must be qualified by actual experience as experts, be- 
fore they are employed. Projection can be no better than 
those who are responsible for its operation. 

The chief projectionist engages the assistant projectionists, 
and is responsible to the manager as to their ability, and the 
conduct of the booth. He is responsible likewise for the 
care of the machinery and the equipment in the booth. Every- 
thing must be kept spotlessly clean at all times. All appa- 
ratus should be inspected several times each week, and the 
mechanism should be properly oiled. All electrical connec- 
tions must be thoroughly examined at intervals. Projection- 
ists should test their machines at least half an hour before the 
doors of the theater are opened each day. Lenses and other 
necessary apparatus must be cleaned daily before each per- 
formance. 

The chief projectionist shall be on duty during rehearsals 
and the first performance of each change of program, so that 
the routine of the show is fully established. Screen rooms, 
where pictures are pre-viewed for music cues, shall be oper- 
ated under his direction. He generally officiates at the ma- 
chines himself, unless the screen room is used for several 
theaters. In that event, a special projectionist is assigned. 

Projection booths are to be equipped in accordance with 
the regulations of all city departments, and projectionists are 
responsible for carrying out all city requirements and rules. 
(Figure 13.) 

The manager shall furnish the chief projectionist with the 
complete program of the show. He shall check all reels dur- 
ing the morning of a change of program to observe any pos- 
sible shortage. Film is either collected by the theater mes- 
senger, or delivered by the film express delivery, in large cities 
where there is such a service. Every reel must be carefully 
inspected on rewind machines before placing in the machine. 
This is to provide against breaking through loose patches or 
other defects. In the better type of theaters, special trailers 
are used by the management in announcing the various units 



PROJECTION ROOM WEEKLY REPORT 

NAME OF THEATRE.—. — WEEK ENDING 



CONDITION OF FILM SERVICE- 



names of advertisers and slides other than house slides 



DAILY RUNNING HOURS 
Sunaaj Matinee , 



Monday Matinee . -. . . .._ Monday Evening..... 

Tuesday Matinee. „, ■ .., , , Tuesday Evening..., 

• Matinee ...... Wednndey I 



Thursday MatiTtve. — t „ _ . . ,_ Thursday Evening.. 

Friday Maem— » - -,,-^t,,,,., ,„ ,_ | j,...,,.,. ... . .-„. Friday Evening....... 

Saturday Mat™..- . . , . .Saturday Evening— 

Total Houn Run During Week. — 

EQUIPMENT AMD SUPPLIES-RECEIVED DURING WEEK _ 



CARBON REPORT 

Sua Uaed. ...Quantity IW Weekly.. 




.Quantity Uaed Weekly_ - Stock on Head 

•Quantitr Used Weekly..,,. , ■ „,, Stock on Hond_ ... 

Quantity U.ed Weekly. ______ Stock on Hand.__ 



.Quantity U.ed Weekly ..Stock on Hand. 

, , Number on Hand... 

Used — Projection Machine , . , , , , ^tar—, Spot. ... 

Voltage Used — Projection Machine..______,.. _.„ Start. „.™„_„__^ Spot . 

Siie of Picture Projected. . „ ...«. ..... Type, of Screaa Uaed...:...- 

Distance tram Projector to Screen ..... _ ... ..Focal Length of Projection. Leos.__ 

Number of Mootb* Projector* Have Been in Uae _-..,.„, ■■ — 



FIGURE 13 

Projection Room Weekly Report 



INTERRUPTION TH PERFORMANCE AND NATURE OF SAME. 




THE FOLLOWING RULES MUST BE ADHERED TOj 

Projection Lent and Condenser Lens must be cleaned daily. 

Projector* and equipment roust be oiled and cleaned daily. 

Projection Room most be kept clean and in a workmanlike condition. 

Connections to Projector! and switchboard must be kept tight and clean. 

Keep Generator Commutator free from all oils, compound*, and do not use sandpaper. 

Film must be inspected daily and all heavy splicet and large punch marks removed be for* 
they are projected. 

Part title* and trailers must not be abown on screen. 

Weekly schedule of running time of various shows aurt accompany this report. 

Operator must appear for duty at least fifteen minute* before scheduled show time, 

RelieJ man before being permitted to work must hare switches and projection room equip- 
meiK. explained to him by regular operator* 

Visitors will not be allowed in projection loom during performance except by permission) 
of Manager. 

Smoking, reading, .and the- -til* -of Trtoxieafina; liquors; ty^ilsr on -dut» witt-meajt immediate 
dismissal. 

Projectionist* 

West Coast Theatres, he 

PPia-ADIf5 T .,„. , IL ., , _, „. ii. 



NOTE — ThU report moat be signed by both manager and projectionists and mailed each weak to West Coast Theatres, 
be, Washington and Vermont Are., Los Angeles/ CaIiI. 



FIGURE 13 

Projection Room Weekly Report (continued) 



THE PRODUCTION STAFF 



145 



of the program. (Figure 14.) Projectionists place such 
trailers in their proper places. 

The speed or running time for any film is established when 
it is pre-viewed in the screen room. Then notations are made 
by the chief projectionist as to the running time for each unit, 
as measured by the speed indicator. This schedule must be 
strictly adhered to, for the music is synchronized to the film 
screened, and any change of speed will make such synchroni- 
zation useless. Pictures are generally cued to a speed of ninety 
feet a minute, except where special instructions are issued 
by the musical director or producer. Once the running time 
is established in the screen room, there must be no change in 
the showing in the theater. 

Projectionists must maintain silence during quiet parts, or 
when numbers are shown on the stage. No noisy machines 
are to be operated during such times. All film should be 
thoroughly inspected by operators running the film on re- 
winders, to locate insecure patches, or to make sure that 
sprocket holes are free from imperfection. A new type of 
rewinder, which operates vertically instead of horizontally, 
has recently been perfected. It causes the film to break on the 
slightest imperfection. The break stops in front of a splicing 
machine, expediting the repair. 

All slides should be examined and carefully cleaned before 
they are placed in the machine. Broken slides must be re- 
ported to the manager, who will arrange for replacement. 
The only slides used in a modern theater are those in con- 
nection with organ solos. Trailers of film are generally pre- 
pared for announcements or other purposes. A special serv- 
ice of advance advertising trailers on practically all features 
is provided for a nominal rental fee, by an organization which 
specializes in such service. 

All shutters not in use in the booth shall be kept closed 
and may be arranged to operate automatically. (Figure 15.) 
A special shutter arrangement shall be provided where one 
machine fades into another. 

Chief projectionists should have on hand a sufficient supply 
of necessary materials, as well as emergency equipment, such 



THE PRODUCTION STAFF 



147 



as additional fuses, lenses, condensers, etc. These are to be 
under lock and key, but accessible at all times to the projec- 
tionist on duty. 

Needless to say, smoking in the booth is strictly forbidden. 

The projectionists hold a big responsibility in the proper 
running of the motion picture program. Naturally, a bright, 
clear, sharp picture is essential. If there are any flashes, 
blanks, or spots in the film, these are to be removed after the 
first showing of each new program. There can be no ex- 
cuse for anything but the very best projection, for the proper 
equipment is available to guarantee this. There is no pro- 
jection problem which is not easily solved by the projec- 
tionist of experience and initiative. 

MUSICAL DIRECTOR 

The musical director is in full charge of the department 
of music. He cooperates with the production manager in the 
presentation of the program, under the direction of the man- 
ager. Together with the production manager and the man- 
ager, he helps in the planning of each unit of the program, 
particularly as to the music. In some theaters the musical 
director also acts as production manager. 

The musical director selects the pieces to be used in con- 
nection with all the units of the program, either stage pro- 
ductions or film units. He screens all film to choose appro- 
priate music to fit or synchronize with the mood and scenes of 
the picture. In this work, he is guided by speed indicators, 
and while viewing the picture, he prepares a music cue sheet. 
(Figure 16.) He has available a music library consisting of 
piano parts of all music in the theater library. After screen- 
ing, he selects the music, which afterwards is played on a 
piano in the screen room during a second screening, and is 
fitted or arranged into each scene. The piano parts, selected 
and marked, are considered the score, and handed over to the 
music librarian, who arranges the proper musical parts for 
all in the orchestra, including the organist. Some libraries 
contain about 25,000 pieces of music, each fully orchestrated. 
Material is gathered through music publishing houses from 



I 



ematicMx 



Cue wSAee** 




h J- UIHTZ |un>t| 

ADOU»H ZUKOR ami JESS? t. LASKY 
present 

A HERBERT BRENON PRODUCTION 

"BEAU GESTE'* 

wrtb 

RONALD COLMAN 

• (Bf arrangement with Samuel Goldvryn)*. 
Alice Joyce, Neil Hamilton, Noah- Beery, 
Mary Brian, William Powell, Norman TrevoC 
Ralph Forbes and Victor McLagkn 

From tiir novel by'PerciraJ C, V/ita 
Adaptation by John Rosjell and Herbert greOflO 
Screen play by Pan) ScbofieW 
Compiled by James C Bradford 
Fooute 9879 feet 

(X paramount Qiclure 




l AT KKESKINO 



Overtore lulitune (Zerco) 




KOTE; Play first movement-tmfyac J repeat, _ . 

« <T«0 OK A DAY ,„....„^.^«»^ ; jU»^.^^CIO>rTHEit'E: Matcbtaff Song oftbe FbrejgD Legion 

(Bradford) . • .» . .« »«~». . Sinr * i — m< , 1$£ ^diA 




FIGURE 1 6 

Music Cue Sheet 



fTHE PRODUCTION STAFF 149 



every corner of the world. The prepared score is rehearsed 
by the musical director with the entire orchestra. The or- 
chestra does not necessarily rehearse all of the numbers straight 
through, for the players are generally familiar with the num- 
bers in the theater library because of constant playing over a 
period of time; but the attack and blending of every number 
are tried out. New music, overtures, and stage numbers 
are rehearsed in their entirety. 

The musical director always conducts the entire program 
during the first show, and every important number and over- 
ture at every performance where the orchestra is in use. 
After the first show, the musical director meets with the 
manager and the production manager and makes necessary 
changes. 

The musical director engages the entire orchestra and is 
responsible for its quality and its personnel. The finest mu- 
sicians in each community are members of the motion pic- 
ture orchestra, and in the best theaters such orchestras are 
large enough to give a creditable account of themselves in 
playing music of the highest type. 

During afternoon performances, the director wears a frock 
coat with striped trousers, and at evening performances he is 
attired in full evening dress. He must always be at his best 
in appearance, and the most successful musical director will 
develop what in theatrical circles is referred to as "show- 
manship." Showmanship in this sense might be termed "style" 
or characteristic manner. It makes a good impression on the 
audience. The brilliancy of performance, or individualistic 
touches, may also be termed "showmanship." 

The musical director is relieved by the concert master, when 
he is occupied with screenings. Each picture is screened 
(shown) in a small projection room, which is really a minia- 
ture theater, which is provided in every motion picture build- 
ing of importance. 

Tuning of instruments should be done in quarters before 
musicians enter the orchestra pit, by means of a tuning bell. 
The musical director should establish discipline among the 
musicians, eliminating talking during performances and chew- 



150 MOTION PICTURE THEATER MANAGEMENT 



ing of gum or tobacco, and should assure prompt response 
to call of rehearsals and to time of performance. Musicians 
generally wear special uniforms furnished by the manage- 
ment, or Tuxedo suits, with white shirts, black vests, and black 
ties. 

The organists shall be governed by the same rules estab- 
lished for musicians, and shall be responsible to the musical 
director or the manager. In either event there must be close 
cooperation between the organists and the musical director. 
The former shall relieve the orchestra in the playing for the pic- 
tures, and shall play the same music selected for the or- 
chestra. In some theaters, where organists are specially gifted, 
they play a special number on the program. 

THE PRODUCTION MANAGER 

The production manager shall produce all stage offerings; 
he shall keep in close contact with the manager and shall 
cooperate with the musical director in creating stage prologues, 
presentations or numbers. He shall devise such numbers as 
will blend with the atmosphere of a high grade motion pic- 
ture theater. These are the stage numbers which are shown 
in the so-called de luxe motion picture theaters. They may 
be in the nature of a prologue or other stage production. 
For his material, the producer may borrow artists from every 
branch of the theater, including the opera, the concert, musical 
comedy, and vaudeville. He must have imagination and be 
of a creative mind, and will produce only such numbers as 
are in good taste, and as are pleasing to the eye and ear. In 
selecting a musical feature, the production manager should 
endeavor to secure variety and contrast, after weighing the 
value of each unit of the program. 

The production manager should have a thorough knowl- 
edge of stage technique, and stage lighting. He shall engage 
all artists and performers that participate in the stage presen- 
tations ; he is in full charge of rehearsals and is in complete 
charge of the stage and its crew. His work is law behind the 
footlight line; he shall be responsible only to the manager 
for results. He shall consult with the manager and musical 



THE PRODUCTION STAFF 



151 



director after the first performance, and make such changes 
as may be necessary to improve the performance. The pro- 
duction manager sometimes designs his own scenery and cos- 
tumes, depending on his ingenuity; but in large theaters, he 
is generally assisted by scenic artists who design and execute 
their own work, or by designers who create the schemes for 
scenery and costumes. In this connection motion picture 
presentations have recruited the ablest designers of the so- 
called legitimate stage. 

In small theaters, and a few large ones, the manager fre- 
quently assumes the duties of the production manager. The 
tendency, however, is toward specialization in this respect. 
Concentration on stage work is essential if the proper results 
are to be attained. When it is considered that a motion pic- 
ture theater requires a stage presentation for each week, or 
fifty-two a year, it will be realized what a colossal task the 
production manager undertakes. He has but one week in 
which to stage and produce a program which in quality must 
measure up to a high standard or else fail in its purpose. 

In theater operation involving a large number of theaters, 
a central production department of several production man- 
agers creates the stage presentations, which are then sent over 
the circuit, showing at each theater for one week. This method 
is in its early development at this writing. 

The production manager and the musical director can be 
of great help in raising the standard of the motion picture 
theater. Through their efforts a type of entertainment has 
been created that is satisfying, and yet different from that 
of any other form of theatrical amusement. With talent 
and methods from every branch of the theater, the result is 
a program of variety, music, and motion pictures, brought to- 
gether into a harmonious whole that pleases the eye and the 
ear, and gratifies the taste for romance and diversion. 

THE STAGE MANAGER 

The stage manager is in charge of the physical stage and 
all employees behind the curtain. He is also responsible for 
the physical condition of the stage and its equipment. Under 



152 MOTION PICTURE THEATER MANAGEMENT 



his direction all electrical and stage apparatus should be in- 
spected at regular intervals. He will establish necessary rules 
to maintain the proper discipline back stage. Noise of any 
kind is not allowed on the stage while the theater is in opera- 
tion. Artists and performers are not to stand on the stage 
except to be ready for their appearance. No persons are ad- 
mitted unless by special written permission of the production 
manager or the manager, and such permission is to be given 
rarely, and always for good reason. 

Smoking is strictly forbidden on the stage or in dressing 
rooms. Special smoking rooms with fire precautions are pro- 
vided in some instances. All fire prevention apparatus on 
the stage should be tested and inspected twice each week by 
the stage crew under the direction of the stage manager. 
Tanks supplying standpipes and sprinkler systems must be 
filled with water ; and ventilation above stage must be in good 
working condition. Fire extinguishers must be refilled at 
necessary intervals. The asbestos or steel curtain must be 
lowered and raised each day before the performance, and 
should be lowered at the end of the last performance. 

The stage watchman will guard the stage door. All dress- 
ing room keys shall be in his possession, in a properly ar- 
ranged key rack. 



CHAPTER XV 



Plant and Housekeeping 

IN Chapters IV and V, I made reference to the procedure 
necessary for keeping the theater in the best running 
condition physically after its initial construction. I like- 
wise mentioned the superintendent and his two aides, the 
housekeeper and the engineer, as the officials charged with 
this constant, varied, and important task. In the present chap- 
ter I wish to dilate upon their duties and to enumerate the 
members and the routine of their staffs. Few patrons real- 
ize the responsibility and the effort that lie behind the ex- 
cellent results which they enjoy as part of the character of 
the house. Few observers understand the influence exerted 
upon our public in building and cherishing good homes, as 
a result of managerial standards of immaculateness, and the 
housekeeper's unflagging zeal in the matters of cleanliness 
and taste. 

THE SUPERINTENDENT 

The superintendent is responsible for the entire mechanical 
department. All employees used in the operation of heating, 
ventilating, etc., are accountable to him. The number of 
these, of course, will vary according to the size of the plant. 
He must make periodical inspections, to be sure that the effi- 
ciency of the machinery is maintained, and must report his 
findings to the manager. Control and distribution of large 
quantities of operating supplies are also vested in him. (The 
type of store room is described in Chapter XXII.) 

The superintendent is in charge of the physical upkeep of 
the theater and its cleanliness. The housekeeper, for in- 
stance, carries out her duties under his supervision. All doors 
and windows must be inspected by him. He sees to it that 

153 



154 MOTION PICTURE THEATER MANAGEMENT 



all lights are extinguished, and that the theater is lacked each 
night. The night watchman, engineers, janitors, porters, 
assist him in these matters. 

He must carefully watch the ventilation system, and must 
make out a daily temperature report which is sent to the man- 
ager. Proper ventilation is extremely important to success- 
ful theater operation, and the superintendent must study his 
apparatus so that it may be manipulated to get the best re- 
sults. There must always be a steady flow of fresh air in the 
theater, yet with no discomfort to patrons. 

Porters are a great aid in keeping a continuous-policy 
theater clean during operation. To make their work effective, 
a routine tour should be laid out for each hour. The num- 
ber of porters used depends upon the size of the theater and 
the number required to keep the house looking clean. The 
tour must include every part of the property, from the side- 
walk through to the auditorium. All papers and other refuse 
must be picked up from floors or receptacles. Floors must 
be kept clean either by vacuum or by mop. 

Supplies in toilet rooms must be replenished as required. 
Repairs that may be necessary in connection with plumbing 
must be reported to the superintendent immediately. Patrons 
should not be disturbed while the porters are cleaning, and 
care must be exercised not to offend passers-by when the side- 
walks are cleaned. During rainy or stormy weather, porters 
lay the necessary mats and runners in the lobby and at other 
necessary points. They also lower the storm curtains hung 
from the marquee, and keep the toilet rooms back stage clean. 
They are to be properly uniformed so that they may be iden- 
tified. 

THE HOUSEKEEPER 

The housekeeper directs and supervises the cleaning staff 
of the theater. This official may be a man or a woman. Some 
managements feel that women have the instinct for spot- 
less cleanliness, and furnish the feminine touch. The house- 
keeper supervises both the duties and working schedules of 
the cleaners. All cleaning is done during the hours when the 
theater is closed, and must be thorough, and include the floors, 



PLANT AND HOUSEKEEPING 155 



stairways and woodwork, and the care of marble, draperies, 
and art objects, as well as the care of plants, birds, and fish. 

The number of cleaners depends upon the size of the theater. 
In a theater seating 4,000 or more persons, which has a large 
number of rest rooms as well as vast lobbies, a cleaning crew 
of fifteen persons is necessary for proper results. A theater 
seating 2,500 persons can accomplish the work with a crew of 
eight persons. 

The housekeeper must check out to the cleaners the 
articles and supplies necessary for thorough cleaning. She 
must assign the most capable workers to the care of art ob- 
jects. Ladders used for cleaning must be padded at the ends, 
so that they shall do no damage, and create no noise. 

Regular theater lighting is not used for cleaning purposes 
— special lamps should be provided. All seats in the audi- 
torium must be carefully cleaned and tightened when neces- 
sary. Articles found by any of the crew must be turned over 
to the housekeeper, who sends them to the house manager. 
It is her duty to inspect the entire theater before the doors 
are opened to the public, and she must feel satisfied that the 
work has been done well. She must maintain in the store- 
room a sufficient amount of supplies for her department. Only 
the best of materials should be used, and waste must not be 
permitted. 

When the theater is large, her force should be divided into 
two or three groups : one crew for the orchestra floor ; an- 
other for the balcony, and a third for the foyer, lobby, side- 
walk, etc. Each crew is responsible for the public rooms on 
its floor. 

The housekeeper must know what materials should be used 
for the most efficient result in treating the various painted 
surfaces, woodwork, marbles, metals, and scagliola or imita- 
tion marble. Particular care must be exercised in the han- 
dling of art objects, furniture, and draperies. Paintings should 
be entrusted only to expert specialists. In the polishing of 
lighting fixtures and hardware, it is well to provide mats to 
protect surrounding surfaces. It is advisable to have a man 
who specializes in this work. 



156 MOTION PICTURE THEATER MANAGEMENT 



Every well-managed theater has its seasonal renovations, 
and special appropriation should be made for the purpose. 
It is a legitimate item of expense, for no theater must be 
allowed to deteriorate below a clearly recognized standard. 
Therefore, an important part in theater housekeeping is main- 
tenance against wear and tear. A first class house will have 
as part of its housekeeping a capable painter who constantly 
refreshes the woodwork in the public rooms. In some large 
theaters, a carpenter is added to the staff, and in addition, 
an electrician who has a fair knowledge of maintenance re- 
quired in a theater. The housekeeper plans the work these 
men do. 

She must therefore be able to get results for the manage- 
ment, through other people. Employing and training help 
that will maintain a high standard of housekeeping is a hard 
job. She has also a large responsibility in regard to the safety 
of the theater property. In some of the newest theaters, art 
objects and paintings of great value are placed throughout. 
Through maids and other service employees, such articles 
must be guarded, and inventories should be checked at regular 
intervals. The housekeeper, in company with the superin- 
tendent, generally makes a complete inspection of the entire 
theater building once a year, and recommends repairs and 
renovations that may be necessary. 

She must have ability, based upon experience and reliability, 
the tact to manage and get along with subordinates, and the 
willingness to help out in any emergency. She must instill, 
through example and conversation, a high degree of self- 
respect and pride, and she must realize that she cannot work 
consistently for the management, and accept gratuities. In 
addition to annual requisition, she orders minor repairs 
through the superintendent, and recommends major repairs. 
She inspects and supervises the tasks of those under her di- 
rection, and makes sure that their work is well done. Her 
inspections should include the following : 

I. Examination of carpets and upholstered furniture. If these 
are spotted, the spots must be removed with cleansing fluid. 



PLANT AND HOUSEKEEPING 157 



2. Examination of draperies, portieres, and other hangings, 

making a list of those requiring renovation. 

3. Examination of floor under heavy furniture, of surfaces of 

tables, etc., to detect dust or grime. 

4. Inspection of chandeliers, marble, woodwork, and carpets 

for repair and renewal. 

THE ENGINEER 

The engineer, who operates under the direction of the 
superintendent, should have a license to deal with the types 
of apparatus he supervises. He shall maintain the boilers, 
motors, and other machinery, and shall by constant inspection 
insure perfect results. Machinery must be oiled, cleaned, and 
polished frequently, so that the rooms devoted to them may 
at all times be spotless and a source of assurance and pride 
to the management. The necessary load of steam must be 
maintained as circumstances require. Temperatures are to 
be regulated in accordance with instructions from the super- 
intendent. On the other hand, the engineer himself sets the 
regulations governing firemen and other assistants, directs 
their movements, and controls their part of the theater's rou- 
tine. 

Another feature of his responsibility is to read the w r ater, 
gas, and electric meters at set intervals corresponding with 
dates of bills. I have treated the subject of water meters at 
length in Chapter XI. I append herewith a statement in regard 
to electric meters that should cover all cases in which manage- 
ment may be interested. 

ELECTRIC METERS 

An explanation of the meter reading and billing methods 
generally employed will serve to make the subject clearer. 
Meters should be read periodically, usually once a month when 
possible. This is called indexing. The indexer simply notes 
the dial reading at the time of his visit; and at the end of the 
day turns in his report to the bookkeeping department, where 
the bill is computed, the current consumption being ascer- 
tained by comparison with the last previous reading. As prac- 
tice makes for both speed and accuracy, an indexer can glance 



158 MOTION PICTURE THEATER MANAGEMENT 



at the dials and accurately read the meter, just as a glance at 
a watch gives any person the time. It therefore follows that 
complaints should not be made by building employees on this 
account, since a check reading taken and compared with the 
bill, when it is received, will verify the reading taken by the 
lighting company. Readings are made in the same way for 
all classes of meters, though some may have more numbered 
circles or dials than others. Therefore the simple instructions 
and rules apply to all types. 

The way to read is from right to left. The right hand dial 
governs the one on its left in each instance. A complete revo- 
lution of the pointer on the right hand dial with a kilowatt 
hour register indicates 10 kilowatt hours. The pointer on the 



next to the left indicates, in one revolution, 100 kilo- 
watt hours; the next similarly indicates 1,000 kilowatt hours; 
while the pointer on the dial on the extreme left, in one com- 
plete revolution, indicates io,ooo kilowatt hours. 

When the pointer on any of the dials is between the figures 
2 to 3, 3 to 4, etc., the smaller number is always read. The 
pointer on the dial to the right must make a complete revo- 
lution, that is, reach zero, before the pointer on the next left 
dial has moved one space. To obtain the consumption during 
any period of time, subtract the reading taken at the begin- 
ning of the period, from the reading taken at the end of the 
period. If the dial on the meter has "multiply" multiply 
the difference. If the dial on the meter is plain, it is direct 
reading and the difference is the actual consumption in kilo- 
watts. 

Diagram (a) shown here is an example of an ordinary 
dial reading. Commencing at the first right-hand pointer, it 
is noted that the last figure passed over by the pointer is I. 




DIAGRAM f A) 



PLANT AND HOUSEKEEPING 



159 



The next circle to the left shows the figure last passed to 
be 2, bearing in mind that the direction of the rotation of 
this pointer is counter-clockwise. The last figure passed by 
the next pointer to the left is I, while that passed by the last 
pointer to the left is obviously 9. The reading to be set down 
therefore is 912 1. 

In a similar manner we read the dial shown in Diagram 
(B). In this case, however, three of the pointers rest nearly 
over the divisions and care must be used to follow the direc- 
tions to avoid error. Commencing at the right, the first pointer 
indicates 7. The second pointer has passed 9 and is approach- 
ing o. The third pointer appears to rest directly over o; but 
since the second pointer reads but 9, the third cannot have 



completed its revolution. Hence the figure last passed is set 
down, which in this case is o. Similarly, the fourth or left- 
hand pointer appears to rest directly over 1 but by referring 
to the pointer next to it on the right, we find that its indication 
is 9, as just explained. Therefore, the fourth pointer can- 
not have reached 1 ; so we set down the figure last passed, which 
is o. The figures as they have been set down, therefore, are 
0997, which indicates that 997 kilowatt hours have been used. 

If, further, the reading of this meter for the preceding 
month was 976 kilowatt hours, the number of kilowatt hours 
used during that month would be 997 minus 976, or 21 kilo- 
watt hours. If there is a "Multiply" or "Constant," the 21 
should be multiplied by that figure to obtain the consumption. 

The electric meter is one of the most accurate instruments 
manufactured. Two factors make for the accuracy — the con- 
sumer, who is ever on the lookout for excessive activity on 
the part of the meter; and the central station which, for its 
own protection, must have accurate, properly installed meters 




DIAGRAM (B) 



160 MOTION PICTURE THEATER MANAGEMENT 



which permit no current to slip by unmeasured. Therefore 
we have a piece of mechanism designed to record with an ex- 
tremely high degree of precision regardless of the varied and 
exacting conditions under which it must operate. It is fre- 
quently subjected to vibration, moisture, and extremes of tem- 
perature. Yet it must record accurately any current passed 
through it. This may be a very small fraction of its normal 
capacity, or it may, on the other hand, be an overload con- 
siderably in excess of its capacity. 

The meter, as a piece of rotating apparatus, is subject to 
error, but it is not erratic in the sense that it will record cor- 
rectly at one time and incorrectly at another. In other words, 
its precision will not fluctuate. The natural tendency, of 
course, as with any mechanical device, is to run slow after 
prolonged operation or under-record. There are no instru- 
ments in any way better for the measurement of the consump- 
tion of electricity than those known as the Thompson record- 
ing Watt-meters, manufactured by the General Electric Com- 
pany, and used exclusively in New York by the Central 
Stations for direct current; and the alternating current meter 
as manufactured by the Westinghouse Electric & Manufac- 
turing Company. It has been determined that other makes 
of meters of lower price have been found difficult to test and 
calibrate and regulate to maintain an average accuracy of 
100.0^. Meters of tenants should be tested periodically to safe- 
guard the interest of the owner in the matter of exact meas- 
urement, at least once during each year. 

Where usual conditions effect an increase in consumption, 
without evident reason for the same, the best method of in- 
vestigation to employ, where the amount involved is suffi- 
cient to warrant the expense, would be to have a licensed elec- 
trician trace out all wiring for grounds, or current losses, for 
line tapping, unbalanced loads, overloaded meter, meter series 
conditions, incorrect constants, or any other conditions usually 
known to the experienced electrician. It would also appear 
advisable in such an instance to notify the State Service or 
Utility Commission to test the meter for accuracy. In mak- 
ing such request, give all information shown on the manufac- 



PLANT AND HOUSEKEEPING 161 



turers' name plate, attached to the face of all meters; the 
serial number, amperes, volts, and wire. The Commission 
can at once appraise the cost of the test before proceeding. 
Since the rate to be made by the State Commission is based 
upon a fixed schedule, such schedule of rates showing the con- 
ditions under which tests are made, may usually be had in each 
locality, by application to the district commissioner. The pre- 
scribed standard of accuracy of a meter is 104.0^ upon the 
found average accuracy, which is the average result of three 
tests made on light, medium, and full-load, where a meter is 
found to record in excess of the "Standard of Accuracy." 
The cost of the special test is remitted to the consumer, in 
addition to a refund according to the percentage of over- 
registration indicated. In such cases a claim should be main- 
tained for a refund applied retroactively to cover the period to 
the last previous test of the meter, then found to be correct, 
and one should accept not less than one-half of the elapsed 
time between such tests as a basis for correction of charges. 

It is recommended that the wiring be tested for possible 
leakage, and that lamps and motors be tested to ascertain their 
efficiency. The exact voltage of the line should be determined 
in each building and lamps should be used of the same voltage 
as the line, or of not more than two volts above or below, in 
order to secure the proper candle power per watt consumption, 
and to maintain the rating of the lamps. 

An example of incorrect voltage follows : 

Circuit voltage is found to be 120, and a lamp installed is 
rated and marked 100 watts, no volts. The effect of using 
this lamp on the above stated circuit voltage, is to throw it 
off candle power; in other words, the lamp will give an "off 
candle power" light — a brighter light than the 100 watt lamp 
should give when used on the exact voltage. It also consumes 
more energy or watts than intended, and overheats, and its life 
is shortened. The net result of using lamps of voltages less 
than the line is excessively bright and improper lighting, 
increased consumption, and increased cost in lamp replacement. 
The opposite is true of lamps of a rated voltage in excess of 
the line; but the efficiency of the lighting is impaired, and 



162 MOTION PICTURE THEATER MANAGEMENT 



lights burn dim and prove unsatisfactory. Request the Light- 
ing Company to make an actual voltage test in your build- 
ing. Order your lamps to the exact voltage for economy and 
efficiency and satisfactory lighting. 

MONTHLY COMPARISON 

OF 

DAYLIGHT HOURS 



JAN 
FEB 
MAR 
APR 
MAY 
JUNE 
JULY 
AUG 
SEPT 
OCT 
NOV 
DEC 
YEAR 

Lamps purchased from irresponsible dealers, lamps that 
are considerably cheaper than the standard, burn more cur- 
rent and in most instances are not up to the specified candle 
power. They are often the cause of increased bills. Asso- 
ciation made lamps — made according to specifications — are 
the most dependable and safest lamps to use. 

Where careful check-up of electrical consumption is desired, 
charts may be plotted showing weather conditions during the 
daylight hours throughout the year. These charts indicate the 



% DARK (fcLIGHT 



1 ma 


40.55 


Hi 55.65 HHH 


4435 | 


HI 50.4-1 


49.59 | 


Hi 44.72 




55.28 | 


SB 40.01 


■ 


59.99 | 


Hi 37.36 


a 


62.64 I 


Hi 39.01 




60.99 | 


IB 42.88 


57.12 | 


Hi 47.92 


52.08 I 


Hi 53.49 HBH 


46.51 | 


■ 58.47 


1 


41.53 | 


| 61.56 




| 38.44 [ 


| 49.25 


50.75 | 



PLANT AND HOUSEKEEPING 



163 



light and dark days and show the extent to which cloudy 
weather may affect the demand for artificial light. Another 
chart may indicate the daylight hours by months. For in- 
stance, in June and July the days are about sixty per cent, 
light and forty per cent. dark. In December and January the 
reverse is the case. The use of artificial illumination by the 
variation of daylight hours and darkness due to storms must 
be considered and recorded, if a close check on consumption is 
to be made. 

Excessive power consumption is often due to inefficiency 
in the operation of various machines. Poor arrangement of 
shafting and belting, and high losses in transmission, play an 
important part in these cases. The automatic push button 
motor and the starting rheostat result in waste of current, be- 
cause the field current is not automatically cut off when the 
motor comes to rest. To overcome this condition, where such 
apparatus is used, master switches should control and should be 
used to cut off the current supply when the plant is shut down ; 
or separate switches should be installed to control each motor 
and rheostat. 



CHAPTER XVI 



Auditing and Accounting Personnel 

IT is not without reason that I take up the employees of 
the finance division after dealing with the house, produc- 
tion, and housekeeping staffs. In the first place, I have 
used the public as my point of orientation; and certainly ledgers 
and bills and receipts are the matters furthest removed in this 
connection. In the second place, I take it for granted that any 
one who goes into business knows that records of income and 
disbursement must be kept, and moreover has some understand- 
ing of the routine involved, the sort of persons to handle it, 
and what he will expect them to do. This is an age in which 
the average procedure of bookkeeping is no mystery to the 
average merchant. Granted the right kind of trained and 
experienced help, financial records should be nearly automatic. 

Furthermore, in the matter of finance personnel, the indi- 
vidual manager will find a consideration entirely intimate to 
his needs. Local population conditions may compel him to 
adapt his programs to an external pressure, or competition 
may similarly dictate changes in advertising and service. In 
the privacy of his own offices, however, he alone knows what 
accounting systems he needs, and what grade of associate or 
worker he must employ for the purpose. Should his original 
plans in this direction prove too small or too large to fit his 
progress, he is the one to decide what his own experience shall 
guide him to do. There are some theaters small enough to 
have their records handled by the proprietor, or by one of the 
partners, who is familiar with the rudiments. And there are 
organizations so vast that they require one or more carefully 
directed departments, with a force of clerks sufficient to run 
a bank. In the metropolitan theaters, for instance, the func- 
tion is given to separate auditing and accounting groups. 
Elsewhere, a single bookkeeper suffices. 

164 



AUDITING AND ACCOUNTING PERSONNEL 165 



The main concern, whether on a large scale or a small, is to 
have the records accurate enough to insure clear-sighted knowl- 
edge of how things are going. Even when only one person 
is engaged at these tasks, the various functions of his or her 
domain should be kept distinct. I mean, for example, that the 
procedure of auditing, which is the determination of the finan- 
cial soundness and progress of the operation, is to be set off 
from the accounting, which has the custody of receipts, pay- 
ments, and employees who handle cash. The matter of statis- 
tical data I shall take up in another portion of this chapter. 

FINANCE ROUTINE 

The auditor is responsible to the manager, generally, for the 
conduct of his department. The size of this, as I have said, de- 
pends on conditions entirely. The main daily duty is to check 
the box office statements, ticket records, and deposit slips. 
Other periodical tasks are the regular audit of the supply of 
tickets, and the inventories of various sorts. 

The verification of disbursements, naturally, is as important 
as the auditing of income. The items here are classified under 
two heads : payments to tradesmen and contractors, and pay- 
ments to employees. Every invoice must be approved by the 
department head concerned and checked with a copy of the 
original order. Invoices must be examined for proper authori- 
zation, proper receipt of goods or performance of work, and 
for correctness of figures. The control of payrolls is of ob- 
vious connection. The management fixes departmental quotas 
and rates of wages, with maximum and minimum limits. It 
is important that these should be watched and studied to en- 
force compliance with directions. Every other deviation from 
established routine must also be reported to the accounting de- 
partment. Refunds to patrons, for instance, must be made out 
on a form provided for the purpose and refund slips must be 
numbered. 

So much for what must be familiar to any one with the 
slightest commercial experience. Let us turn now to that func- 
tion of finance which, in the progressive theater, means guid- 
ance and growth. 



166 MOTION PICTURE THEATER MANAGEMENT 



STATISTICAL DATA 

In addition to current, necessary records, or rather I should 
say, in extension of current, necessary records, the auditing de- 
partment should provide daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, and 
yearly reports of various kinds and purposes. One is to dis- 
close the financial facts, the chronicle of the theater's history 
in dollars and cents. Another is to give department heads, as 
well as management, a bird's-eye view of operation from an es- 
sential and thought-provoking angle. Another still is to pave 
the way for scientific budgeting by substituting precise knowl- 
edge for inspired guesswork. 

Figures themselves, of course, can not do all these things. 
It is therefore the high service of the auditor and his assistants 
to analyze the causes and the conditions behind the entries and 
the totals. Coming into contact, as he does, with every phase 
of the operation, he is in rare position to observe and study 
all, to act occasionally as a kind of efficiency engineer in pro- 
moting sensible reforms and intelligent cooperation. If he in- 
terferes with his colleagues, he can very soon become a dis- 
rupting element of the first magnitude; or if his statistics get 
the upper hand in department councils, he may subtly chill the 
warmth out of the service or squeeze the juice out of the en- 
tertainment. However, if the spirit that moves him is cordial 
and considerate, he will find the others turning to his door of 
their own interest and volition. In a phrase, let him construct. 
Otherwise he is going to get himself looked upon with a sus- 
picion that will discount or even vitiate his best intentions. 

What his colleagues must know, from time to time, is how 
they are bettering past performances. Therefore his most 
serviceable function lies in providing the sort of information 
that illuminates both present and future in the light of the past. 
His department offers a splendid source for such researches; 
and in one sense must act like a bureau of standards. 

What is a standard? Perhaps it is a summary of the results 
obtained during a prior year. Perhaps it is a budget based 
upon ideal operation. Perhaps it is an analysis of the opera- 
tion of another theater. Whichever it may be, when results 



AUDITING AND ACCOUNTING PERSONNEL 167 



are improved, the old yardstick is dropped in favor of the new. 
In appraising the future, there should be periodical checks of 
results against estimates. Thus the prophecy tends to become 
more and more regularized, standardized, dependable. Nor 
need reliability crystallize at the expense of inspiration. Com- 
putations that instill confidence are stimuli to effort. For in- 
stance, comparison tables showing income, outgo, and profits, 
against a background of previous results, are the maps and 
compasses of success. 

A related activity of the accountant is the establishment, 
maintenance, and revision of standard forms, for budgets, re- 
ports, timekeeping, inventories. The need of standardization 
by a central agency of this sort is that thus confusion and du- 
plication are obviated, and efficient harmony expedited. The 
whole subject is a field of interesting study which cannot re- 
ceive too much attention. Every manager has standards, 
though they may comprise nothing more than an annual result. 
In addition, he may have a basis of comparison in some period 
when a special attraction drew overflow crowds. From these 
simpler levels, the range extends up to most elaborate and 
complicated figures. At any event, there should be definite 
methods of compilation, if the standard is to be at all trust- 
worthy. 

Let me add a few more words on the character of the per- 
sonnel. The head of the department should be selected on the 
basis of experience. He should be of unquestionable loyalty 
and integrity. His work must, of course, be accurate — of ma- 
chine-like precision. Next in order, after these solid virtues, 
come executive ability in keeping his subordinates up to his 
own high level, and tact and firmness in dealing with col- 
leagues. Finally, his crowning gift must be a high order of 
intelligence, in analysis of the past, in understanding of the 
present, in contributing to the creation of the future. He must 
surround himself with the right sort of steady, alert helpers, 
so that his department can never break down into disjointed 
fragments, or sink into a mere jog-trot of routine. 



CHAPTER XVII 



Conferences 

THERE are people who buy an antique violin merely 
for the sake of possessing a rare and expensive curio. 
The instrument reposes in the collector's cabinet, a 
glorious memento of a past that is dead. Its voice is muted. 
No bow sweeps across the strings. No spirit speaks the pres- 
ence of the great composer, or the training of the skilled vir- 
tuoso. Music has been, not deified, but mummified. The func- 
tion is lifeless. 

What a waste it would be, if the best carpenters' tools in the 
world were given exclusively to those who never used them, 
or to rank tyros who forever handled them badly ! Man would 
go houseless and homeless. Doors and tables and cabinets, 
once the present stock ran out, would never be replaced. 

So with the theater. The best building, the most beautiful 
equipment, the most carefully picked and efficiently drilled 
personnel,— should a successful executive turn these over to a 
successor inept and unworthy, what a ruin, what a tragedy! 
Now that I have listed the living force of humanity that throbs 
the house with life, it comes to me that the growth of the in- 
stitution would not lie in the presence of even an army of such 
helpers. I know that God has implanted in every man the 
power to be more than a tool in the hands of others. I have 
seen many an inspired soul, in my own industry, struggle and 
rise from mere instrumentality to heights of duty and strength. 
Yet there can be no denying the simple fact that in modern in- 
dustry there are times when men must be tools, must pay for 
priceless training and the hope of growth with an eagerness to 
serve a directing mind for the good of the thing that makes 
possible the livelihood and the career of both. 

And who is to wield these human instruments ? Surely not 

168 



CONFERENCES 



169 



the destroyer. Surely not the tyrant. Surely not the feeble. 
The days of such leaders are past. In the evolution of democ- 
racy, the rule of the solitary or the unfit has been ground out. 
The true captain of hosts to-day is the servant of his fellow 
men, not in idle rhetoric, but in the actual sense of serving 
those whom he protects, teaches, develops into beings greater 
than when they came to him. 

We hear a great deal about psychology nowadays. We hear 
so much of it, from glib lips that have been eager to prattle of 
a reality whose meaning is a closed book, that we wonder at 
the waste of so practical a tool in the hands of the ignorant. 
"Psychology!" Or again: "Applied psychology!" Or: "The 
psychology of business !" Something to be repeated, parrot- 
wise, after the fashion of the hour ; and then to be forgotten, 
left behind, while the speaker hastens back to egoistic, stupid, 
unprofitable procedures from which the age is growing up. 

Psychology ? Do I find in it a real, a creative mechanism for 
hoisting life out of the rut? Of course I do! Yes — a thou- 
sand times — yes ! As sensible to deny its existence as to shut 
one's eyes to the wireless, the airship, or any other great con- 
tribution of our age to progress ! Only, it must be more than 
a word, greater than a superstition. One cannot fly by wish- 
ing to. There must be a solid thing to fly in. Nor can one 
speak across space by getting a Voodoo priest to cast a spell. 
A man would be a fool to risk his life in an airplane without 
wings, or to tune in on a set without parts. Psychology will 
work wonders, but only on the two conditions that govern the 
success of any appliance : It must be sound, and it must be in 
the proper hands. 

It thus remains for the true manager, after he has distrib- 
uted the routine of his theater to the handful or the hundreds 
of employees who are to perform the tasks, to ripen in the lore 
and the wisdom of guiding people. Industry, no less than 
politics, has its constituencies and its administrations. I have 
already pointed out some of the governing measures under the 
headings of instruction, supervision, and routine. Even the 
topic of this chapter has not been unmentioned by me, but I 
set the present pages aside for a detailed treatment, because I 



170 MOTION PICTURE THEATER MANAGEMENT 



believe the subject worthy. This subject is the conference, and 
its availability as an application of psychology to business; 
and I recommend the succeeding paragraphs to the reader for 
his earnest and careful attention. 

STAFF AND DEPARTMENT CONFERENCES 

One of the best methods of encouraging initiative among de- 
partment heads is the staff conference. These meetings are a 
splendid means not only of planning, but of achieving results. 
When conducted properly, they are productive. A wholesome 
spirit must permeate them, and all present must meet on terms 
of equality, if the greatest good is to result. The manager 
should not use the meeting to exploit himself, but rather to 
give department heads an opportunity to express themselves; 
and they in turn must understand that cooperation will be the 
keynote of the gathering. Every one must therefore be put at 
ease, and made to feel that he plays an important part in the 
proceedings. Backbiting, jealousy, and every other disorgan- 
izing factor must be kept out, as in fact they should be ex- 
cluded anywhere in the business. Finally, no theater is either 
too large or too small not to benefit by staff conferences. 

Let me add that I do not refer to the kind of occasion where 
the executive gives the department heads a good bawling out. 
A group called together for the purpose of having their short- 
comings painted for them is not a conference. If such meet- 
ings are necessary, the manager should get a new organiza- 
tion, or the theater should get a new manager. Conference is 
a word derived from the Latin, and means "bear together." 
That meaning expresses the spirit that should predominate. 

The conference is a fine device for discussing problems that 
arise, for talking out and establishing policies, and for setting 
uniform methods of operation. When it is of the right kind, 
it is productive of new ideas, and results in bringing valuable 
information to the fore. It may help to promote a common 
understanding between the manager and his lieutenants. Of 
course, conferences must not be allowed to take the place of 
individual initiative. Department heads are to understand 
that they must make decisions relative to their fields, and that 



CONFERENCES 



171 



they are not expected to submit all of their problems to the 
weekly group. Every one of them has definite responsibilities 
and must act according to his authority. No business can 
be conducted by parliamentary methods. Though the meet- 
ings are good things, the industry has not been built up on 
mere talk. 

The subjects that are brought up for discussion must be of 
general interest, of interest to all that are present. The chief 
projectionist may have a problem that does not concern any 
one but himself ; nor is he greatly interested in how the service 
can be improved. However, there may be problems between 
two or three department heads, where they have a common 
interest. For example, the projectionist may have a question 
involving the running time of the film, which concerns the 
musical director, the stage manager, and the house manager. 
Such subjects, of course, are worthy of consideration. In 
turn, department heads should carry on group conferences. 
The department head who is in charge of the service, for in- 
stance, should call a conference of his staff during each week, 
to discuss pertinent problems, and to instill the proper spirit of 
understanding among the men. A revivalist cannot put more 
feeling into his work than the director of service. Teaching, 
drilling and disciplining are the watchwords of his domain. 
The same program should be carried through by the other de- 
partment heads, at times that are convenient and that do not 
interfere with regular duties. 

Conferences are of value when they result in bringing out 
elective thoughts, when they arrive at concrete decisions, and 
when they stimulate a fine organization spirit. Those who 
conduct the sessions must therefore not have a hit or miss 
policy. A definite program should be mapped out in advance, 
and meetings must begin and adjourn promptly, according to 
schedule. No manager has the right to make his organization 
a vehicle of his personal convenience, unless he wishes to lose 
the respect of his co-workers. He should not terminate the 
meetings too soon, but rather stimulate discussion. Although 
there must be no general airing of grievances, expression 
should take the place of repression. 



172 MOTION PICTURE THEATER MANAGEMENT 



Personal difficulties must not be allowed to abstract any time. 
If there are differences between department heads they should 
be settled in the private office of the manager, and not in public. 
A written record should be made of the findings of the meet- 
ing, a copy of which is sent to each department head. This 
prevents confusion as to decisions that are reached, because 
various persons have various recollections afterward. 

Conferences in theater operation are divided into two 
classes : those of the staff of department heads with the man- 
ager ; and those held by department heads with their staffs. 

In either case, the great aim is loyalty, the most valuable 
asset that any organization can boast. Politics must not be 
allowed to get a foothold in any organization. If politics 
exists, it is entirely the fault of the manager, because a good 
manager does not permit or encourage cliques or favoritism. 
One of his important tasks is to establish a relationship of fair- 
ness to every one, and not to allow the impression to be created 
that there are any privileged members on the staff. Since the 
manager's contact with each department head should be in the 
open, open discussion gives him a splendid chance to dissipate 
any start at intrigue. The staff must be made to feel that the 
theater is "our" business — that a hurt to any one of the execu- 
tives is a hurt to all. If this sentiment prevails, a fine start 
has been made in the right direction. Nor is there danger of 
running dry as to subjects to be discussed at meetings. The 
business of theater operation provides plenty of material that 
is of interest every day in the week. 

The conferences pertaining to the uniformed staff interest 
themselves principally with service improvement. This con- 
cerns employees who come in contact with the public. A dis- 
cussion of complaints and other experiences frequently is of 
great benefit in perfecting certain phases of the service prob- 
lem. Get-together meetings help each member of the staff to 
realize the problems which others have to face, and go far to 
bringing about a common understanding. 

Conferences of the production department result in har- 
monizing the artistic activity of a theater organization, and are 
indispensable in achieving cooperation. The production, the 



CONFERENCES 



173 



musical direction, and the designers, are all factors of signifi- 
cance in the first-class theater. It is extremely important not 
to dampen their enthusiasm if the best results are to be ob- 
tained; yet it is most important that these department heads 
work closely together, for the efforts of each will affect the 
results of all. Valuable experience and creative ability are 
brought out and pooled for the benefit of all. Last, but not 
least, such temperamental people relish and utilize the oppor- 
tunity to confer. 

The manager who aims to develop a resourceful organiza- 
tion will use the conference plan to help attain his purpose by 
familiarizing his lieutenants with the knowledge that has made 
him a success : the best methods of management, the expedient 
devices for improving business, the modern methods of han- 
dling help. By familiarizing his department heads with his 
problems he can gradually have them assume much of the 
details of operation. Then he is relieved and freed for the 
important financial problems of growth and expansion. Of 
course, it follows that such lessons give the entire staff an op- 
portunity to become familiar with the function of the various 
departments of operation, and in that way to receive the ben- 
efit of managerial scope. This helps fit them for more im- 
portant assignments. What more valuable asset can a theater 
employee have than a sound knowledge of the theater business ? 
I do not mean that the publicity man is expected to know as 
much as the manager, or that the usher should know as much 
as the publicity manager. What I do mean is that each em- 
ployee should know his particular job as well as it is possible 
to know it, and then start learning something about the job 
next higher up. Those who want to climb are generally 
watched pretty closely by executives. That is precisely as it 
should be. You don't pick man-power off the curb, any more 
than you earn leisure to work out greater results — by sitting 
there! Sit in intelligent conference with your aides, and the 
skilled workers and the leisure will grow out of your councils. 

Similarly, the conferences held by department heads with 
their subordinates bring results of benefit to both. Such meet- 
ings give the department heads greater confidence as to their 



174 MOTION PICTURE THEATER MANAGEMENT 



own responsibility, and at the same time help to develop man- 
power. Besides, they are effective in maintaining standards. 
Printed manuals explaining in detail the duties of all depart- 
mental employees are valuable, as I have intimated. Manage- 
ment of course realizes that the printing of rules and regula- 
tions, in itself, will not mean much unless suitable instruction 
emphasizes the contents of the manual. Here is another func- 
tion of the departmental get-together. 

It is the custom in many fine theaters for the house or the 
assistant manager to meet his charge daily for inspection and 
instruction, for perhaps several minutes, just as they are about 
to go on duty. The captains follow through during his inspec- 
tion periods. Under this plan, the management, through de- 
partment heads, emphasizes what is expected of the staff in the 
way of service, and provides an educational machinery of dis- 
cipline, drill and inspection, at the same time keeping before 
the workers the denned standard of the house, as set forth 
at and by the previous conferences. 

CONCLUSION 

The observant reader has no doubt by this time noted the 
strange fact that although I made much of the term "psychol- 
ogy" in the introduction of this chapter, I failed to refer to it 
once in the body. The reason is simple : The conference is an 
instance of procedure according to applied psychology. One 
need not know a single rule, need not have opened a single 
text, to be a working psychologist, if he can manipulate an 
assemblage of people to get his results from them singly and 
collectively. 

By definition, "psychology" means the study of human 
actions and mental reactions. Hence, it is very much akin to 
the everyday business of studying people. Like every other 
manifestation of common sense that has grown into a science, 
psychology takes shrewd judgment of human beings, and 
makes it more exact and therefore more serviceable. It is 
consequently a good thing to read something on the subject, in 
order to familiarize oneself with certain terms that round up 



CONFERENCES 



175 



many experiences in a word, and thus serve as short-cuts to 
efficiency in sizing people up and in dealing with them. 

However, Caesar and Shakespeare never read a treatise of 
psychology, and never heard or used the word; yet they were 
pretty good psychologists, by modern standards. They had in- 
sight. They had a gift of shrewd appraisal. So has many a 
modern business man. The chief knack is to put yourself in 
the other fellow's place. Then, when you return to your own 
shell, you use upon him the stimuli that would get you to do 
this or that if you had remained in his boots. 

Accordingly, a good manager should put himself in the 
place of a department head. What does he need? What does 
he look forward to ? He wants to hold his post ; he hopes to 
rise higher. What can I make of this equipment of his de- 
sires, that will work out to my good and his ? I can give him 
my confidence. I can share my experience with him. I can 
arouse in him the impulse to grow as I have grown, by learning 
what I have learned, doing what I have done. In so far as he 
is the right sort of man, he is bound to respect superior skill 
and knowledge, and to hanker to acquire them. And from 
time to time, he will wonder how he assays, both in his own 
judgment and in mine. 

That is where the conference enters the picture, and that is 
why it stands out as a scientific device for developing people to 
be and to do and to give their best. With every voice free to 
speak, every ear opened to hear, every face plain to read, and 
every head set to learn — it is not long before every heart, too, 
is in the right place and every brain in the right state. What I 
mean by "the right place" is loyalty. What I mean by "the 
right state" is intelligence. Put these two together and they 
would spell success even though the alphabet had never been 
invented. 

Is psychology worth while? 
Is the conference worth while? 
What do you think? 



CHAPTER XVIII 



Employment 

ALTHOUGH I have already referred, here and there, to 
the procedure of engaging helpers, and have implied 
the matter of employment in stating what I believe to 
be the merits of the right sort of executive assistants, I feel 
the need of making my explanation concrete, at this juncture, 
for two reasons. In the first place, I wish to provide a sum- 
mary of the matter of personnel generally, and I feel that I 
can do that best by looking the field over through the eyes of 
the employment office. In the second place, there are numer- 
ous details I have not yet mentioned, and I find this stage of 
my exposition most suitable for the purpose. 

Before I proceed to my enumeration, however, I would like 
to say a word or two about the attitude of the manager toward 
applicants. Shall he proceed to engage people by intuition, or 
according to more or less scientific methods ? Although I can 
see advantages in the former, especially in the case of a small 
operator shrewd in appraising character, I must insist that in 
the majority of instances — and of course in large-scale opera- 
tion — a scientific scrutiny is vastly preferable to a hurried first 
impression. 

It stands to reason that if the personnel numbers in the 
hundreds, or if the executives are distracted by duties else- 
where, a carefully planned system will save time and prevent 
errors. Such systems have been devised by managers who have 
learned from experience; and the aggregate of do's, don'ts, and 
short-cuts has been licked into shape by progressive operators. 
With allowance for individual conditions, the following pre- 
cise directions should serve as a composite picture. For con- 
venience, I adopt the point of view of a man just beginning to 
go into the business. 

176 



EMPLOYMENT 



177 



As a new theater approaches the date of its opening, it is 
important for the management to plan the personnel. The 
manager is either assigned or engaged at least six weeks before 
the opening. He is selected, obviously, because of his qualifi- 
cations to operate the type of theater that is to be conducted. 
These abilities of his must include an intimate knowledge of 
the particular sort of operation, together with training and 
experience in operation generally. He is engaged in advance 
of the opening in order that he may familiarize himself with 
the theater, in order that he may properly check up the items 
of equipment necessary to the conduct of each department of 
the theater, and in order that he may surround himself with 
an efficient staff. 

The manager generally selects his own assistant, or house 
manager, and he does this shortly after he arrives on the scene. 
In circuit operation, the manager makes such a choice with the 
aid of the director of personnel at the Home Office. It is most 
important, however, to assign an assistant who will operate in 
harmony with the manager. His duties are primarily to assist 
his superior in the many details involved in getting the theater 
ready for opening, and to train the house service staff. The 
assistant or house manager must, therefore, be one who is 
familiar with the standard of service and its requirements, and 
must have the ability to select a service staff capable of inter- 
preting the high standards of reception expected in a modern 
house. 

The manager likewise selects the director of publicity and 
advertising as soon as he possibly can in advance of the open- 
ing, so that he may lay out an opening advertising campaign 
of telling effect. In this connection the publicity man works 
in close harmony with the manager, in order that he may fully 
absorb the spirit of the policy that is to be promoted. 

When a theater is to produce its own presentations and pro- 
logues, the manager selects the Production Manager from four 
to five weeks prior to the opening, to plan the initial show and 
design the succeeding entertainments, and have sufficient time 
in which to select his staff and performers and to insure a 
smooth-running program in time for the opening. The Pro- 



178 MOTION PICTURE THEATER MANAGEMENT 



duction Manager himself engages a staff engineer, who is gen- 
erally a member of the International Stage Hands' Union, and 
who officiates either as Chief Electrician or Chief Carpenter. 
The stage crew is engaged by the Stage Manager through the 
local Union Office, from one to two weeks before the open- 
ing, depending upon the amount of work to be done, in order 
properly to take care of the stage equipment installation; for 
the crew must become thoroughly familiar with the equip- 
ment. The number of men employed depends on the type of 
entertainment to be given, in accordance with the require- 
ments established by practice. 

When a circuit operates the theater, the production plans are 
probably taken care of by a circuit arrangement handled by the 
Home Office. The management's duties are here simplified to 
correspondence and supervision. 

The Musical Director is engaged by the Manager about the 
same time as is the Production Manager. He is selected be- 
cause of his musical ability and personality, as well as for his 
past experience. The musicians he hires are procurable 
through the Local Union branch of the American Federation 
of Musicians, and are selected because of their talent. The 
Musical Director himself, incidentally, must be a member of 
the American Federation of Musicians. 

The projectionists are taken on from one to two weeks prior 
to the opening, through the International Association of Stage 
Hands and Operators. As a rule, one projectionist is assigned 
as Chief, and he helps to install the equipment in the booth. 
The number of men employed in the booth is determined by 
the type of entertainment to be given and the regulations es- 
tablished by custom. 

The selection of the service staff is undertaken by the man- 
ager, who uses the assistant manager as a medium through 
which first selections are made. 

The Chief Engineer is engaged about four weeks in advance. 
He need not be a man of theatrical experience particularly, so 
long as he understands the operation of boilers and other kinds 
of machinery, and provided he has the ability to supervise the 
employees under his direction. The engineer establishes a 



EMPLOYMENT 



179 



schedule of his duties and prepares a list of supplies which are 
ordered and turned over to him for distribution. These in- 
clude cleaning materials, in the proper use of which he must 
be fully instructed. 

When the theater is large enough to warrant it, a house- 
keeper is engaged, by the manager, to take care of the hygiene 
of the house. The cleaning staff is engaged by either the 
manager or the housekeeper, and consists of porters, maids, 
janitors, and cleaners. These are selected about two weeks in 
advance of the opening, and are placed in active work three or 
four days before the theater is to be available to the public. 
During this time they are instructed in the proper use of the 
various cleaning apparatus and materials, and are trained in 
their respective duties. Such employees are generally secured 
through employment agencies. The engineer or housekeeper 
may be obtained by advertisements placed in the want-ad 
columns of the best newspapers. 

The engineer devotes as much time as possible to machinery, 
motors and the apparatus of the engine room, so that he may 
become familiar with the type of equipment used and with its 
requirements. It is usually good practice to employ an en- 
gineer recommended by one of the manufacturers of such 
equipment, which is an assurance of securing a competent man. 
The engineer must be a member of the union. 

The cashiers are selected by the manager about two weeks 
in advance, and again the applicants are secured through ad- 
vertising in the want-ad columns of the best newspapers. It 
is always advisable to employ girls who are of good appear- 
ance and who have been brought up in an atmosphere of re- 
finement. Moreover, wherever it may be possible, the girls 
should not be entirely dependent upon their earnings for sup- 
port. The cashiers must receive preliminary training super- 
vised by the manager or the assistant manager. 

Ushers are tentatively chosen by the assistant manager, and 
engaged through a process of elimination by the manager. 
They should be selected from two to three weeks before the 
opening, and should be immediately put through an intensive 
training by the assistant manager, so that they are well drilled 



180 MOTION PICTURE THEATER MANAGEMENT 



and familiar with their functions by the time of the opening. 
The ushers are procured through advertising in the want-ads of 
the best newspapers. The advertisement may read as follows : 

YOUNG MEN, EDUCATED, OF GOOD BREEDING, BETWEEN AGES OF 
EIGHTEEN AND TWENTY-TWO YEARS, MUST BE FIVE FEET TEN 
INCHES IN HEIGHT AND HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATES, FOR RE- 
FINED WORK IN THEATER. APPLY . ONLY 

THOSE WITH THE ABOVE QUALIFICATIONS NEED APPLY. If 

the staff is to consist of fifty boys, one hundred and fifty of the 
more promising applicants should be selected; and during the 
training, through elimination, the fifty best applicants are ulti- 
mately employed. 

The doorman, the footman, and the pages are selected by 
the assistant manager from one to two weeks in advance, and 
are handled in the same manner as the ushers. The doorman 
and footman should be between twenty-five and thirty years of 
age, and the pages should be schoolboys working on part time. 

The stage doorman should be employed about three weeks 
in advance, and should be engaged by the house manager. The 
night watchman should be engaged by the manager himself. 

If directorettes or information girls are employed, they 
should be selected by the manager or assistant manager one 
week prior to the opening. These young ladies must be par- 
ticularly attractive, refined, and well bred. 

If the first aid room is part of the theater, the nurse should 
be engaged about two weeks in advance of the opening and 
should be selected upon the recommendation of a competent 
physician, who should be assigned as house physician. 

Early arrangements have to be made with a reputable uni- 
form tailor for the proper equipping of the uniformed staff. 
In other chapters we treat of the uniforms in detail. (See 
Chapters VII, XIII and XXVI.) 

In the very best theaters it is well to employ a manicurist, 
so that the appearance of the boys is immaculate in this respect. 
A tailor may also be engaged to keep the uniforms in proper 
condition. 

The reader will probably have noted that the above in forma- 



EMPLOYMENT 



181 



tion is in no sense theoretical, but entirely the fruit of obser- 
vation in practical business. The prospective manager who 
follows these suggestions will therefore find an intricate prob- 
lem greatly simplified. This is especially true of small opera- 
tions, where common sense and rule-of-thumb take care of 
most matters. Even on a larger scale, there is little general 
need of anything beyond sound practice. Yet in some divi- 
sions of employment, common sense needs sharpening to a 
science. When the Paramount Theatre was about to open, 
for instance, there was apparent necessity of one hundred and 
sixty ushers. Advertisements brought two thousand appli- 
cants. The management, though anxious to do the best by 
itself, was under pressure of time; nor could it hope to remem- 
ber two thousand appraisals by ordinary means. Therefore, 
in addition to the usual scrutiny of appearance, there was in- 
stituted a rapid, scientific personnel test, drawn up by experts. 
Scientific records, moreover, were used to record, classify, 
eliminate, select. 

The very facts of such a situation point to the perfecting of 
slow and outmoded procedure. As psychology emerges from 
contradictions and gropings to the level of exactness of other 
sciences, we shall probably have many more ways of sizing up 
people than at present. The ideal, of course, lies in the remote 
future ; but now and then it produces possibilities in the pres- 
ent; and the alert operator keeps pace. 

SUMMARY OF PART IV 

Glancing back for a moment over this section of the book, 
we find that personnel is human equipment for promulgating 
and carrying forward the standards of policy. In the case of 
the motion picture theater, employees group themselves under 
the classifications of their departments : house, production, en- 
gineering, housekeeping, finance. As we learned in Chapter V 
of Part II, the personal machinery needs supervision as surely 
as does the mechanical. Returning to Chapter XVII of the 
present part, we see that the conference may be added to train- 
ing and inspection as a means to efficiency and morals. Chap- 



182 MOTION PICTURE THEATER MANAGEMENT 



ter XVIII closes the subject by emphasizing the importance 
of paying as much and as intelligent attention to the procur- 
ing of man-power as to any other. Here, as elsewhere, let 
operation take heed of the precept : The best, and nothing but 
the best. 



Finance 



CHAPTER XIX 



Financing the Motion Picture Industry 

WHEN the manager has perfected himself as an execu- 
tive, he has created an organization that runs itself 
largely without him, because it runs itself as he has 
planned it to. Now, released from routine, he finds himself 
with much free time to devote to larger matters. He has 
fixed his policy so that the quality of entertainment, the ap- 
pearance and care of his house, the type of the service, and 
the direction of personnel, are established as standards. These 
and the other matters of function are in the hands of capable 
lieutenants, who marshal and guide his resources as he would 
wish. He has reached a definite peak of progress. 

Now, one of the fine advantages of a peak is that it pro- 
vides a commanding view ; and in business such a scope is in- 
evitably related to finance. Since life is complex, the motion 
picture industry is inextricably bound up with art and the en- 
joyment of life. Yet in so far as it is a business it differs 
from them in that its chief aim is to make profits. Hence, as in 
any other mercantile field, the leader is the financier. I refer 
not merely to the generals, but to the captains. This is not 
merely true, but desirable. As the theater goes and grows in a 
pecuniary way, it holds and increases its power to contribute 
the ideal features — art, and the enjoyment of life. 

I am therefore writing this group of chapters to explain the 
monetary basis and framework of the theater. First I shall 
consider the preparatory phase as represented by the budget. 
Then I shall show how financial plans are controlled by means 
of certain data and statements. A further chapter I devote to 
the details of purchase, storage, and inventory; and a final 
one to the economic utilities of insurance. Thus the body of 
this portion of the volume is concerned with the operation of 

185 



186 MOTION PICTURE THEATER MANAGEMENT 



the theater in dollars and cents ; and since this is a topic whose 
governing principle may be lost sight of amid so many sep- 
arate items, I introduce the general conception, here, in these 
introductory words on the financing of the entire industry, both 
as history reveals it and successful promotion requires it. 

From a speculation to a sound investment in fifteen years — 
that is one of the true accomplishments of the motion picture 
industry. I do not mean to imply that everything pertaining 
to motion pictures is sound; that is far from being the case. 
Very few new motion picture enterprises are enabled to make 
the financial grade. The business has grown into a tremen- 
dous thing; and whereas a comparatively small sum of money 
could launch an enterprise in the early growth of the industry, 
to-day it requires vast sums. To produce motion pictures with- 
out adequate distribution is a big gamble; and national dis- 
tribution is a matter that runs into very large sums, besides 
requiring a highly specialized man-power. To build theaters 
without a definite supply of product, and in opposition to es- 
tablished and expertly operated houses, is also a precarious 
matter. 

In the beginning, the possibilities of the industry attracted 
all classes of persons. Among them were many who had been 
failures in other fields of endeavor. It was not surprising, 
therefore, that conservative bankers looked askance upon the 
new business that sprang up overnight. The theater, itself, 
had always been considered a perilous business. All of this 
gave the industry an air of instability. Certain pioneers, led 
by Adolph Zukor, Marcus Loew, E. F. Albee, William Fox, 
Carl Laemmle, and J. J. Murdock, brought to the new in- 
dustry sound practices and an integrity which gave the motion 
picture a genuine commercial foundation. Facing many trials 
and ups and downs, the business finally w r as guided to a 
growth and a firmness that are almost miraculous. Encoun- 
tering the same difficulties attendant upon any new industry, 
it moved faster than others, and developed a field rich in op- 
portunity. Few indeed can compare with the rapid, and at the 
same time solid growth of the motion picture. Why? It 
became a stable and necessary product — it filled a public want. 



FINANCING THE MOTION PICTURE INDUSTRY 187 



It has grown into the fourth industry of the country within 
a comparatively short time, and has earned the respect and 
confidence of banking interests throughout the United States 
and abroad. It is a significant fact that the large financial 
institutions of the country have taken a more than passing 
interest in this departure, have underwritten and are under- 
writing its reputable securities, and have given it a high finan- 
cial rating. The business is conducted on a solid basis, the 
management of the best companies is capable, and the routine 
is guided through budgets, control systems, and efficient sta- 
tistical methods along recognized industrial lines. The lead- 
ership is in the hands of men of ideals as well as determination. 

Over a billion and a half dollars is now invested in this 
country in motion pictures, which employ about three hun- 
dred thousand persons, and pay salaries of $75,000,000 each 
year. Approximately $500,000,000 is annually paid across 
the box office window by the American public for the picture 
show. During the year 1925, $24,000,000 was earned by the 
ten leading companies. The motion picture has therefore 
proved to be a good "risk" to the banking interests. At the 
outset the business had no standing with banks, and loans were 
made on a personal basis. Such sums were very small, al- 
though they seemed quite large to those pioneers who had in- 
vested everything they possessed. From such a humble begin- 
ning the business grew until it built up a great financial pres- 
tige, and to-day it enjoys the same credit accorded to any 
other commercial enterprise. A satisfactory relationship based 
on mutual confidences exists to-day between banking circles 
and the leaders of the industry. Sound organizations are given 
consideration for accommodation on the prevailing banking 
practice as to sums and interest similar to those accorded other 
legitimate ventures. 

Some of the large companies have issued securities to the 
public through reputable investment bankers, and have en- 
joyed the confidence of the investing public. The dividend 
record of the principle organizations in the industry has been 
good, and should continue to deserve public support. There 
is every reason for this. Extreme conservatism guides the 



188 MOTION PICTURE THEATER MANAGEMENT 



accounting methods of the best companies. In the instance 
of several of the most important producing organizations the 
cost of each negative (feature motion picture) is practically 
written off during its first year of release. Ninety per cent, 
is written off during the first twelve months corresponding 
with the ratio of film rentals, and ten per cent, is written off 
during the second year. Yet negative inventories represent big 
values, since many productions may be either reissued or made 
over again. There are no bad accounts, because all business 
is transacted on a cash basis. 

There are three units within the industry: production, or 
the making of motion pictures; distribution, the agency 
through which the pictures are sent out to the theaters; and 
exhibition, which operates the theaters where the pictures are 
shown. Each division has its own financial requirements. A 
few of the large organizations control all three units, and most 
of the larger organizations do production as well as distribu- 
tion. Other organizations, however, are interested in a single 
branch of the business, so that the problems of each should be 
understood separately. 

The production of pictures is centered principally about the 
city of Los Angeles, with studios located in various suburban 
communities, such as Hollywood and Culver City. Some pro- 
duction is done in New York. About seven hundred feature 
motion pictures are created each year, ranging in cost from ten 
thousand to two or more millions each. The average cost for 
a feature picture is close to $250,000. There is no established 
formula as to cost for a particular film. The producing organ- 
izations are able, however, to control costs to the extent that 
they produce pictures which result in profit. It is this free- 
dom that is given to production which has made possible the 
constant improvement in the product, and which has produced 
many fine entertainments. Since this is the stage where crea- 
tive effort must not be hampered, the salaries paid to stars and 
directors are a large part of the cost. Such rewards are deter- 
mined only through their box office value, and consequently 
are fixed by the law of supply and demand. Producers pay 
large salaries only when they are enabled to make a profit, and 



FINANCING THE MOTION PICTURE INDUSTRY 189 



a star's value is determined solely by the public interest, as 
expressed at the box office. 

Studios, too, represent large investments, and are operated 
by highly specialized organizations. These are equipped with 
every possible contrivance used in the making of motion pic- 
tures, with adequate provision for generating light, for build- 
ing settings, and for the making of costumes. The weekly 
budget of one of the larger production companies is approxi- 
mately $400,000 during peak production. 

The screen rights of a play, novel or story may cost a con- 
siderable sum, which varies from a few thousand dollars to 
over a hundred thousand dollars for a single story, depending 
upon its estimated box office value. Financial provision must 
be made for such items as these referred to, as well as to take 
care of the cast other than the star, for the settings and cos- 
tumes, and for many other details according to the needs of 
the project. A good feature picture also requires the highest 
directorial skill which, together with camera men and assist- 
ants, runs into substantial sums. It can readily be seen that 
the financing of motion pictures, particularly for a large or- 
ganization producing approximately eighty feature motion pic- 
tures a year, is no small problem, and requires the direction of 
executives of clear vision, who have a clear understanding of 
the business and of its future. 

The distributor maintains thirty or more offices located in 
important cities of strategic advantage, through which the films 
are cleared from the studio laboratory to the theater. The 
most important function here is the sale or rental of the prod- 
uct to exhibitors, and because of that, involves maintenance of 
a large and efficient sales force. In addition, the distributor 
does the shipping, collections, inspections, and renovations of 
the film, as well as the exploitation. Transactions are con- 
ducted on a cash basis, the exhibitor paying either in advance 
or on delivery. He pays a rental for the exhibition rights for 
a specified number of days at a particular theater. The price 
is established by a minimum quota, determined by the general 
manager of distribution, but is finally set by bargaining be- 
tween the exhibitor and salesman. Distributors collected ap- 



190 MOTION PICTURE THEATER MANAGEMENT 



proximately $185,000,000 last year in rentals. The cost of 
such marketing runs between twenty-five and thirty per cent. 

Great progress has been made, likewise, in the field of exhi- 
bition. In 19 10 there were approximately 9,000 motion picture 
theaters. In 1926 there were approximately 20,000. Aside 
from this increase, there has been marked improvement in the 
construction, size, and equipment of the buildings. The up- 
to-date motion picture theater is a combination of convenience, 
luxury, and comfort. The national seating capacity of Ameri- 
can houses is approximately 18,000,000. 

The motion picture plays an important part in the daily life 
and habits of the nation. Over 47,000,000 persons attend 
the theaters weekly. The growth of the industry is founded on 
solid principles, satisfying the demand for good entertainment 
at a price within the reach of everybody. Since it is a cash 
business, it has economic advantages, and it is the nearest ap- 
proach to maximum steadiness that modern commerce has 
known to date, with a stability conceded by the most conserva- 
tive bankers who are familiar with the industry. In periods 
of general business depression, the box office of the picture 
theater is the last to show unfavorable condition, because in 
time of stress working people attend the motion picture theater 
more frequently. Yet it is the first enterprise to participate in 
increased returns during normal or especially prosperous 
periods. To quote a recent article which appeared in The 
Bankers' Magazine, "The consumption of bread, sugar, and 
salt is no more impregnable to fluctuation than the steady flow 
of dimes and quarters through the wicket of the motion pic- 
ture box office." 

The progress of the industry has been marked off by various 
milestones. The first was the "store show" period, in which 
converted shops were turned into five- and ten-cent "movies." 
These were superseded by more comfortable and somewhat 
larger theaters. Whatever financing there was, was done by the 
exhibitor himself, since bankers were not yet willing either to 
invest or to loan money for such purposes. 

These small theaters were eventually replaced by finer build- 
ings, and the business began attracting a better type of in- 



FINANCING THE MOTION PICTURE INDUSTRY 191 



vestor, who brought with him more capital, and who was able 
to establish proper banking connection on a sound business 
basis, just as any merchant might in the community. The 
business people gradually realized that a well-conducted motion 
picture theater was an asset to the community. Theaters that 
were subsequently erected began to pay attention to the en- 
vironment, music, and service. Those that kept pace with the 
new order of things prospered ; those that did not, passed out. 
Many communities that were too small to support a theater 
were satisfied to go to the nearest fair-sized town for their 
entertainment, where they could see motion pictures under 
proper auspices. 

The financing of large theaters is to-day accomplished 
through bond or stock underwritings, provided that the need 
for the theater exists, and that the motion picture product is 
available for such an operation. For such enterprises abundant 
capital is available, for the operation of theaters is now in the 
hands of experts who understand every phase of management. 

There are two methods of financing open to the prospective 
theater builder: One is a mortgage bond, which generally 
covers about sixty per cent, of the worth of the project, and 
which provides amortization over a period ranging from ten 
to twenty years. The other is the issuance of stock, which 
method is purely local in its character. Its success is dependent 
on the ability of the principal, and the confidence in which his 
community holds him. The prospective exhibitor will there- 
fore be guided by the circumstances which prevail in his case. 
In any event, I would close with a caution that is in effect a re- 
statement of my introduction; namely, that it is extremely in- 
advisable to build theaters without definite anticipation of a 
supply of the product, since this means opposition to estab- 
lished houses of expert management. Under the right 
auspices, however, the field still holds rich promise for the 
capable investor. 



CHAPTER XX 



Budgets 

TEE same man who would not dream of putting up a 
building without seeing the plans and specifications 
with his own two eyes, without going over them 
scrupulously and critically, will often invest his money and 
receive his income from the venture, with no more guidance 
than the native wit his mother Nature has given him. That 
is, he uses structural science to provide himself with a means 
of prospering, and then runs the plant as though it were a 
news-stand or a fruit cart— as though there were no such thing 
as a science of finance. The only logical thing for him to do 
after this would be to buy a Rolls-Royce and have it drawn 
by good, strong, healthy oxen! Thus he would be at 
least consistent. Not intelligent, perhaps; but surely con- 
sistent. 

Budgeting has not long been given the attention it deserves 
in the business of operating theaters. Recently, however, there 
has developed an appreciation of the necessity of introducing 
every possible aid to economy and profit has become mount- 
ingly apparent. Students of the situation realize that budget- 
ing offers a splendid control of expense and gives managements 
a better understanding of their financial problems. Many of 
the executives who own theaters have felt that budgeting is 
not applicable to their field. Yet this is a fallacy, because pro- 
gressive managements, who plan for the future and forecast 
results, are unconsciously exercising the principle without the 
name. When additional advertising is anticipated for an at- 
traction, for instance, certain results are expected because of 
the additional expenditure; or frequently managers reduce ex- 
penditures when a dull interval is expected. 

These instances are primitive examples of budgeting, which 
is merely a refinement of the same principle: forecasting the 

192 



BUDGETS 



193 



expense and the income, and detailing the data in the form of 
a record as an objective to reach out for. A carefully planned 
budget covers certain periods. For practical purposes, it is 
expedient to divide the year into four quarters, such as Jan- 
uary, February and March for the first quarter, and so on. 
To define, then : a budget is a statement of probable revenue 
and expenditure, and of financial commitments for an ap- 
proaching period. Although the full meaning is understood, 
the use of precise systems has not been practiced in this busi- 
ness to any great extent to a practical degree. 

The proper method in establishing a budget arrangement in- 
volves two of the important fundamentals of theater manage- 
ment, planning and controlling. It is impossible to establish 
a budget system without planning and controlling, and no 
management should operate without such practice. The ex- 
planation of these terms is simple : 

In the instance of theater operation, it is well to decide in 
advance how large the orchestra is to be, how much money is 
to be allocated to advertising, how much should be set aside 
for the cost of attractions, and how many ushers are to be em- 
ployed. Indeed, every department of the house may be plotted 
in advance ; and such decisions are summarized under the cap- 
tion of planning. The cost of the various departments, how- 
ever, must be kept within the financial possibilities of the 
receipts. The supervision that insures profit based on the plans 
is known as control. 

There can be no intelligent operation unless these funda- 
mentals are paramount with managements. Statistical studies 
will establish certain standards or ratios of theater operation, 
just as they do for any other business. Such standards or 
ratios are essential not only to establish a budget plan, but to in- 
sure and assure success. To estimate what a department or 
item is likely to cost, it is necessary to know what it has cost 
in the past; so it is essential to record statistical figures in 
order that they may be readily available. These data show 
what the results have been; it is therefore right to assume that 
what has been done can be done again or exceeded, or not quite 
attained. It is the same as going by experience, except that 



194 MOTION PICTURE THEATER MANAGEMENT 



records are more reliable than memory. On the other hand, a 
budget does not necessarily establish its future expense by the 
past. If an additional allowance for a particular item will 
bring additional results, the anticipated increase may be good 
judgment. Therefore, the budget established must be based 
on the judgment of the management as well as on the history 
of the business. 

There are instances when the management may feel that a 
motion picture, or some other attraction, lends itself to special 
exploitation, involving additional expenditure. At such times 
the judgment of the management must prevail. Frequently 
such additional expense may bring increased profits. In the 
same way, it is not good judgment to pass up unusual motion 
pictures or attractions, that may attract record attendance. 
Therefore, while observing budgets, managements must be 
alert for the opportunities that present themselves, even though 
they exceed the allowance set. The best way is to make a con- 
tingent allocation in the plan for the unexpected, but desirable 
outlay. 

These prophecies in dollars and cents should cover the en- 
tire field of theater operation, both in expenditures and con- 
templated improvements. The probable outlay for decora- 
tions, furniture, carpets and other improvements should be 
carefully ticketed. Experience indicates that unless the cost 
of such factors is established, they far exceed expectations. 
It is natural that when purchases are made without guiding 
figures, there can be no intelligent control. If we know, before- 
hand, how much may be expended, the situation cannot get out 
of grasp. 

There are certain items of expense which are fixed, such as 
rent, taxes, insurance, water rates, and overhead and interest 
charges, if any. Then there are those which include salaries, 
supplies, advertising, and the cost of attractions, which vary 
in accordance with the expected income. These are forecast on 
percentages of expected income. Then there are expenditures 
which are made because of policy or business judgment, and 
which must be under absolute control of the management. 
Such items may include institutional advertising, which may 



BUDGETS 



195 



have ho direct connection on a particular attraction, but which 
is part of a general good will campaign. Contributions to 
various funds likewise come under such a heading, as do dec- 
orations and improvements. 

Merely placing the budget items on paper, of course, does 
not in itself insure control. It is important that proposed ex- 
penditures are not exceeded except with the approval of the 
management. Therefore, when a plan is operating properly, 
it is a safeguard against unwarranted expense. The per- 
centages of expenditures for any given purpose as applied to 
receipts are quite accurately established through experience; 
for example, the item of feature film rental is a definite per- 
centage of the gross receipts of that particular feature, whether 
it was contracted for on a percentage arrangement or at a flat 
rental. Feature film rental is generally the most indefinite 
item in the operation of a theater, yet all rental charges are 
based on past costs. Whether film rentals turn out satisfac- 
torily or not, is easily determined. 

The greatest usefulness of the budgetary system is to pre- 
vent the spending of money not anticipated, unless it is justified 
after a thorough examination of the facts. Without such 
active control, it is of no avail. There are managements that 
do an excellent business, but that do not operate profitably. 
The orchestra or some stage attraction may be too costly. Per- 
haps too much money is being spent on advertising or service. 
Budget control is a means of eliminating waste in these and 
other directions. 

Therefore the outstanding advantage of a percentage plan 
is that it establishes what percentage a particular item should 
cost, and emphasizes constantly and forcibly what percentages 
are to be anticipated on every other item. Executives then 
exert pressure to make percentages a little better ; and by work- 
ing on this basis, the object of the budget places operation on 
its mettle to meet requirements. This makes possible an im- 
provement in results, gradually eliminates waste, and encour- 
ages greater efficiency. Perhaps, for example, if the adver- 
tising of last year in a certain theater was 10 per cent, of 
the gross, the management feels that it can improve this show- 



196 MOTION PICTURE THEATER MANAGEMENT 



ing without affecting the efficiency of the department, and es- 
tablishes the forecast at per cent. The department, by an 
analysis of previous advertising, can determine what may be 
eliminated in order to attain or perhaps better the forecast. 
If, in the effort to enforce the established percentage rigidly, it 
is found that the efficiency of the advertising is lowered, then 
the corrective influence of good management will stop such 
false economy. The cost of all decorating and painting and 
equipment should be similarly preserved in a permanent file, so 
that when the time comes to estimate the cost of the same 
items for future budgets, the information is available. Cost 
keeping records of this sort are essential to good budgeting, 
and study of such records often results in finding more eco- 
nomical methods of doing things. 

Repairs pertaining to mechanical and electrical items are 
not so easily controlled as to cost. Machinery will break down 
without apparent cause at the most inconvenient time, and must 
be repaired at once. While supplies are kept on hand, repair 
work of this description sometimes involves costs not antici- 
pated. Repairs, of course, are made under the supervision of 
the engineering department. A contingent fund should there- 
fore be provided in the budget for such items. The amount 
can be determined only by estimate. 

Such moneys need not exactly be placed aside, providing an 
accrual is made on the books of the company. The manage- 
ment may determine an average of $100 per week for such 
items. This money may not be used every single week, but the 
amount has been accrued and is available when an expenditure 
of such classification is to be made. Accruals may be planned 
for twenty weeks, which would render available two thou- 
sand dollars for such items. One repair item might amount 
to one thousand dollars. This would leave one thousand dol- 
lars which is still available for the future, and which is in- 
creased each week through the accrual. 

If the right spirit is cultivated in the operating staff, the 
management may set up certain goals to strive for, and when a 
record of accomplishment has been established, keep on try- 



BUDGETS 



197 



ing to improve old records by establishing new ones. This 
creates a distinct feeling of achievement. Contests and drives 
help to stimulate interest amongst the staff in such instances. 
All departments may participate in them. A contest may take 
into account the saving of expense as well as increase of busi- 
ness. Prizes and other rewards help to stimulate such an effort. 
Goals may be established in different ways, as befits the situa- 
tion. The goals should be expressed either on a percentage of 
the revenue, or on one which ties in with the budgeting scheme. 

The most necessary use of estimating budget ratios is in 
connection principally with those expenditures which are 
optional with the management. Wherever such items are in- 
volved, careful planning is essential to control. Most theaters 
have an annual renovation period when there is a lull in busi- 
ness. Whatever work is done, must be only after a plan and 
an allowance have been determined, since otherwise excessive 
expenditures will result. Control of costs in connection with 
such work is the task of the management. To budget the cost 
properly it is important to make the right beginning. Esti- 
mates can be drawn correctly only through personal inspection 
of the property. Every piece of work to be done is listed. 
Carefully prepared sheets covering all repair work may be 
used for convenience. The various articles may be named in 
the first column, as indicated. The recommendations are 
checked by the manager as to their advisability. Some items 
may perhaps be postponed without detriment. Those which 
seem necessary are then estimated as to cost and, upon ap- 
proval, become budget items. 

The budgeting of repairs and renewals is also of great value 
in bringing to the management's attention the physical condi- 
tion of the property. Expenditures that are authorized are 
carried out during the dull period, usually the months of June 
and July. After the set time no expenditures should be allowed 
other than items for ordinary operating expenses, or those 
which result from emergency. Whenever expenditures are 
prepared in excess of $50.00, the department requisitions the 
accounting department, which makes authorizations, if the 



198 MOTION PICTURE THEATER MANAGEMENT 



item is provided for in the budget. Otherwise the requisition 
is referred to the manager. In such instances no expenditure 
is permitted without special authority from him. 

Budgeting exercises a great service in the fact that all pro- 
posed expenditures must be authorized by a central authority. 
Since plans are made by estimates and cannot be guaranteed 
as to accuracy, figures must not be followed arbitrarily. In 
many instances judgment must be used; otherwise executives 
would be deprived of initiative. Executives who would take 
their budget allowance as final might feel that their possibili- 
ties are limited, and in that way might not try anything new, 
out of fear of additional expense. This is a danger that must 
be avoided. Budgeting cannot be perfected immediately upon 
establishment. It takes time and patience before it functions 
as a smooth routine, and too much should not be expected at 
the start. Men operating under a budget finally are actuated 
to beat a record, and can appreciate the responsibility of man- 
agement, when they have a goal to reach for and a definite 
standard against which their efforts may be measured. Here 
is an excellent test of the efficiency of management. 

It is needless to emphasize that it is just as important to 
apply the principles of budgeting to revenue as to expenditures. 
Everything must be done to stimulate and attract a revenue in 
excess of the amount established in the expectation. Manage- 
ments draw additional patronage by giving the very best shows 
obtainable. This means good judgment in the selection of 
the feature films that are contracted for, as well as of the other 
subjects that will be shown. Other measures lie in maintaining 
music of the finest quality ; in judicious and aggressive adver- 
tising ; in the quality of the service and the theater atmosphere, 
and in carrying out to the fullest extent those essentials which 
emphasize the highest type of management, which are described 
in other chapters of this book. 

Budgeting may mean encumbering managements with many 
useless forms, or it may be of the utmost benefit in the proper 
and profitable operation of a business. It is a means of turn- 
ing dreams into actualities. The question is not how many 
forms are used in the conduct of a system, but rather in what 



BUDGETS 



199 



spirit it is attempted. As a business adjunct, the budget is the 
most progressive advancement in controlling and measuring 
efficiency in the last decade. The device has been taken up 
and used by civic governments ; and if the word ' 'management' 9 
does not include budgeting, it means a certain measure of con- 
fusion, waste and dead loss. 

Although the principles set forth above are for a single 
theater, the same system may be adopted for a group of thea- 
ters. In fact, the larger the business, the more essential the 
control of the numerous, diversified departments. Responsi- 
bility is thereby set squarely on the shoulders of those who 
spend the money ; and haphazard, perhaps disastrous, methods 
are eliminated. 



CHAPTER XXI 



Methods of Accounting Control 

T[E budget, like other devices of operation, is conducted 
by the management with the assistance of department 
heads. Of course this aid must never grow to the 
proportions of substitution. The head must do the controlling. 
The auditor can and should contribute helpful counsel, but even 
he is not to be relied on blindly. No business man is worthy 
of the name who does not keep the purse strings firmly in 
his own hands. 

On the other hand, constant minute examination of routine 
details is not desirable either. There is thus a necessity of 
some compromise between negligence and over preoccupation. 
A means for this is provided in the statement, a document 
that prepares the whole story for the executive to read and 
interpret after his own fashion. Now every industry has its 
own needs in this as in other respects ; and the forms and in- 
tervals of commercial reports are established by fairly arbi- 
trary circumstances. What is indicated in the steel business 
may or may not serve the retail dry goods trade; and their 
devices may or may not be available for us. 

I have endeavored elsewhere in this book to emphasize the 
importance of control of operation in every respect by the 
manager. To do this in a financial way, there must be available 
each week figures that show the actual result against standards 
that have been established. What operation is accomplishing 
can be determined only by comparative figures. These nat- 
urally come from the accounting department. Where an or- 
ganization operates several theaters, a statistical division is 
created for the purpose. 

The figures first come to the management in weekly oper- 

200 



METHODS OF ACCOUNTING CONTROL 201 



ating statements. These should be accompanied by a sched- 
ule showing progress of the business week by week and year by 
year. The reason they are prepared weekly is that theaters 
operate on that basis : they play most attractions for seven days 
or less, Since we are dealing with a cash business, there are 
no outstanding accounts except bills payable. It is, therefore, 
consistent that operating statements be prepared on a weekly 
schedule. The form used might be similar to the one in 
Figure 17. It will be seen to contain all expenditures in de- 
tail, as well as income. There are theater organizations that 
may use forms that vary from the one illustrated; yet, in 
essentials, all operating statements are alike. To provide a 
current check, the weekly operating statement is supplemented 
by the usual monthly financial statement, that is, by the bal- 
ance sheet or statement of financial conditions ; and it is with 
this form of report that I shall deal first, after some general 
counsel : 

The figures shown by all these documents may be designated 
as control figures. They indicate what is happening and where 
improvement is necessary. While figures in themselves do 
not run a business, no executive can run a business without 
them. Therefore it is essential that a manager know how to 
read his statements and how to analyze them. Unless he is 
able to make efficient use of the mere figures, the reports are 
useless. Moreover, the manager should not only understand the 
figures of his own operation, but he should be able to com- 
pare them with the statistical information of other theaters. 
Unfortunately, in the theater business, accurate figures for 
comparison are not available as readily as in other highly de- 
veloped business activities, such as public utilities and many 
manufacturing organizations. Incidentally, this adds weight 
to the injunction that theater management must have an ab- 
solutely thorough and dependable system of bookkeeping, and 
be thoroughly familiar with the working details of the de- 
partment that maintains it. 

The need of a uniform accounting system in the operation 
of theaters is very important, and the agency that could bring 



202 MOTION PICTURE THEATER MANAGEMENT 



this about would render the industry a great service. Unfor- 
tunately, the figures of most theater operations are guarded 
zealously by their managements for fear that disclosure might 
reveal results that would increase the cost of operation. Yet a 
standard system of accounting would be of immeasurable value 
to all who conduct theaters. Such a schedule need not reveal 
money values, but would submit ratios only. Many industries 
have adopted this means of mutual benefit, notably the Na- 
tional Drygoods Association and the American Iron and Steel 
Institute. The Bureau of Business Research of Harvard 
University has made splendid progress in compiling dependa- 
ble figures for comparative purposes. 

Since that convenience, however, is still a matter of the 
future, let us consider what the individual promoter can do 
for himself. It is not intended, of course, that this chapter 
deal with the usual accounting problems which are the concern 
of the auditing department. It should not be the obligation 
of the management to prescribe bookkeeping methods to be 
adopted. All that executives should be interested in is to re- 
ceive figures that are dependable and that are prompt. 

THE BALANCE SHEET 

When an executive wants to know how well his business is 
being operated, he refers to his balance sheet. This sheet 
shows clearly how the assets and liabilities are made up, and 
how the excess assets, after deducting liabilities, show the net 
worth. The balance sheet also shows the profit earned during 
a given period. The net worth of a corporation is the sum 
of capital stock plus the surplus shown. In addition to the 
balance sheet, the manager also has available a weekly oper- 
ating statement which gives in detailed form all operating 
expense as well as expenses. These figures also give the man- 
agement immediate information, and are very valuable from 
that angle. Such weekly statements can only estimate certain 
items such as taxes, heating, etc. Adjustments are made in 
the monthly financial statements of such items. 

A condensed theater balance sheet expressed both in dollars 
and ratios is as follows : 



METHODS OF ACCOUNTING CONTROL 203 
EXHIBIT 
Condensed Balance Sheet 

ASSETS 

Current Assets : Amount Per cent. 

Cash $344,400.00 42.3 

Accounts Receivable (loans to em- 
ployees) . « 10,000.00 1.2 

Investments 190,000.00 23.4 

Inventories 5,000.00 .6 

Total Current Assets $549,400.00 67.5 

Deferred charges $ 5,000.00 .6 

Fixed Assets: 

Furniture and Equipment $150,000.00 18.5 

Leasehold 109,250.00 13.4 

Total Fixed Assets $259,250.00 31.9 

Total Assets $813,650.00 100.0 

liabilities and net worth 

Current Liabilities: 

Notes Payable $156,000.00 19.2 

Accounts Payable 30,150.00 3.7 

Accruals 12,000.00 1.5 

Total Current Liabilities $198,150.00 24.4 

Reserves $1 35,000.0a 16.6 

Net Worth : 

Capital Stock $250,000.00 30.7 

Surplus 230,500.00 28.3 

Total Net Worth $480,500.00 59.0 



Total Liabilities 



$813,650.00 



100.0 



204 MOTION PICTURE THEATER MANAGEMENT 



The current assets of this statement consist of 67.5 per 
cent, of the total assets. The current assets are of liquid 
nature, and may be realized in cash. The current liabilities 
constitute 24.4 per cent, of the total liabilities and are those 
which are expected to be paid. 

The amount of current assets is $549,400 and the amount 
of current liabilities $198,150. The latter, subtracted from 
the former, leaves a net working capital of $351,250. This 
denotes a favorable condition. The ratio of the current assets 
to current liabilities will indicate just how solid the com- 
pany is. This is determined by dividing the amount of current 
assets by the amount of current liabilities. Now, the ratio of 
2.77 indicates a very healthy condition. Such a company 
would have little difficulty to receive credit on this showing, all 
other facts being equal. 

Returning again to the balance sheet on page 203 we find 
that we have $190,000 of investments included in the current 
assets. They are current because they represent investments in 
marketable securities and can be converted into cash. If they 
were investments of no marketable value, or represented in- 
vestments in a subsidiary or affiliated company, then they 
would appear down near the foot of the balance sheet under 
fixed assets. 

The balance sheet shows inventories amounting to $5,000.00. 
These constitute the supplies held in the storeroom, such as 
coal, cleaning materials, stationery. 

Deferred charges represent prepayments of expenses such 
as telephone service, insurance premiums, capital stock, fran- 
chise tax. They are not included in current assets because they 
never will be realized in cash. They represent items that will 
be chargeable against expense each month in the future. 

Fixed assets represent such items as equipment or lease 
cost. The original cost of the equipment may have been 
$300,000 and the leasehold may have cost $25,000. The 
lease being for twenty years, and the theater having operated 
five years, 5 per cent, per year, or 25 per cent., has been prop- 
erly written off against profit and loss. The equipment cost 



METHODS OF ACCOUNTING CONTROL 205 

of $300,000 has in this instance also been depreciated on a 
basis of twenty years, or 5 per cent, per year. This, however, 
is merely theory; no one knows how much the equipment de- 
preciates in any one year. For the moment, I merely supply 
the following self-explanatory table: 

DEPRECIATION RATES OF THEATER EQUIPMENT 



Classification Rate 

Semi-Permanent Decorations : 

Lobby 15% to 25% 

Theater Auditorium 20% 

Public rooms 31%% 

Equipment (Furnishings) : 

Rugs 15% 

Carpets 33%% 

Furniture 10% 

Draperies and Hangings 15% 

Stage : 

Scenery 33% 

Portable electric lamps 10% 

Stage props 33% 

Draperies 20% 

Attached electrical equipment 10% 

Organ 10% 

Building Equipment: 

Signs 10% 

Frames 10% 

Refrigerating machinery 10% 

Boilers and heating apparatus 10% 

Ventilating system 10% 

Office : 

Furniture 10% 

Safes 10% 

Booth : 

Picture machines 10% 

Spotlights 15% 

Stereopticon 15% 

Other booth equipment 10% 



All of the furniture and equipment should be thoroughly 
controlled by inventory. As each piece of furniture or equip- 



206 MOTION PICTURE THEATER MANAGEMENT 



ment is paid for, it should be tabulated in an inventory record, 
and a small brass tag usually fastened in an inconspicuous 
place. The number on the brass tag should correspond with 
the number written against the name of article in the lists. 
If for any reason a certain piece of equipment is to be re- 
placed, it is simple to look up the record through the number 
and find all the data referring to the cost and the source of 
purchase. 

The turnover of fixed assets was 3.83 times in the year, 
which is a splendid result for a leased property. If the com- 
pany owned the land and building, this turnover would be re- 
duced considerably and the result would be poor. Considera- 
tion would have to be given to interest charges on mortgages 
or bond issues, and a building depreciation added to carrying 
costs. The depreciation charge of such a building would be 
from two to four per cent, annually, depending on the char- 
acter of the structure. 

There was no tangible value behind the common stock of 
$250,000 given for the leasehold, excepting the hope of suc- 
cess. Therefore, to insure the original capital to stockholders, 
a reserve was allocated from profits each year at the rate of 
one twentieth of the value of leasehold, so that at the end 
of the term stockholders might receive the par value of their 
stock. The depreciation money charged off may be paid to 
stockholders rather than kept in the business. The procedure 
adopted in this instance was to purchase part of the capital 
stock and hold it as treasury stock. This is permissible as 
long as the surplus account is equal to the par value of the 
stock purchased. 

Current liabilities consist of notes and accounts payable, 
salaries, taxes and interest accrued. The reserves in the bal- 
ance sheet show a ratio of 16.6 per cent, to total liabilities. 
Reserves are made to meet future expenditures, the contin- 
gent liability for which is known. Reserves are also made for 
repairs and renewals, when these items can be properly esti- 
mated through a budget allowance. The sum is then charged 



METHODS OF ACCOUNTING CONTROL 207 



against weekly operations, and is credited to a reserve on the 
balance sheet. If expenditures exceed the estimate, then the 
difference is charged against profit or loss. 

There are two kinds of capital employed in any business. 
The first is borrowed money, which may be in the form of a 
bank loan, a mortgage, or bond issues. The second is cash 
put into a business by the owners. This is generally the money 
that is represented by stock in a corporation. The money 
which is earned, but which is retained in a business, is called 
surplus, which comprises the net worth. It is the return on 
this money which interests stockholders. 

THE WEEKLY STATEMENT 

The weekly statement is intended to show the current profit 
or loss. This report designates each item of expense under 
definite classification, together with the balance for or against. 
It is valuable when each classified expense shows the ratio 
of that item against the total income, although ratios mean 
little unless the management is able to utilize them in making 
comparisons with previous records, or with the operations of 
a similar theater. Figure 17 shows a detailed weekly oper- 
ating statement of a first-class house in the downtown section 
of a large city. 

Sometimes ratios are below the standard accepted. Such 
instances bear investigation, just as do ratios that exceed the 
usual standard. Ratios, likewise, may indicate a reduction in 
expense that might affect the efficiency of the particular item. 
This, of course, is not sound economy. On the other hand, 
a lower ratio may indicate that a more efficient method has 
been developed. In any event, executives must study the 
figures and their relative values if they are to benefit the 
operation. 

It is of further great help to the management if the average 
percentage of daily and weekly attendance can be established 
as a standard. The actual attendance will differ from week 
to week, for theater attendance is influenced to a great extent 
by the attraction that is offered. Every theater, however, has 



Form 998 

LOCATION , WEEK ENDING 


NO. 




RECEIPTS 


LAST YEAR 






Box Office 










Advertising 










Concessions ft Miscellaneous 










Rental of Theatre 










Rental from Tenants 










TOTAL RECEIPTS 










EXPENSES 










L 


T. P. L. Film Rental 










la. 


Other mm Rental 










8. 


Transportation or Film 










9. 


Production 










i. 


Stage Salaries 










6. 


Talent Salaries 










S*. 


Talent ft Baggage Transportation 










e. 


Orchestra Salaries 










6 a. 


Mualo Library 










COST OF ATTRACTION 












Publicity: Newspaper 










6. 


Accessorte3 












Miscellaneous 










9a. 


Billboard 










9b. 


Sign Palmer 










COST Or PUBLICITY 










10. 


Salaries — House 










10a. 


Heating and Cleaning Salaries 










11. 


Legal 










18. 


Traveling (Except Overhead) 










13. 


Telephone and Telegraph 










. il- 


Electricity (Light ft Power* 












Heat ft Water 










is. 


Repairs (ft Eenewals 










16k. Lamps 










17. 


Postage, Stationery and Office Supplies 










18. 


Supplies, other 










18 s. 


Tickets 










18b. 


Cleaning ft Toilet Sopplles 










18C. 


Booth Supplies 










184. 


Stage Supplies 










11. 


Miscellaneous Expense 










20. 


Uniforms 










21. Commissions 










22. 


Contributions 










CURRENT HOUSE EXPENSE 










23. 


District Supervision 










24. 


Home Office Supervision 










TOTAL OVERHEAD 










29. Rent 










26. Insurance 










27. 


Taxes 










28. 


Depreciation 










29. 


Interest ft Exchange 










FIXED * CAPITAL CHARGES 












TOTAL EXPSENSES 








PROFIT OR 


LOSS 








PROFIT OB LOSS TO 


DATE 










PROFIT- OR LOSS A3 


ABOVE 








PROFIT OS LOSS ON SEASON 












HOME OFFICE 





FIGURE 17 

Weekly Statement 



METHODS OF ACCOUNTING CONTROL 209 



a certain definite audience that may be depended on. It is 
the daily attendance that varies, since most houses play to a 
peak business on Saturdays and Sundays. 

While the business of theaters fluctuates in accordance with 
the season of the year, the seasonal attendance has become 
greatly stabilized in recent times, and there is a further tend- 
ency toward a more evenly distributed demand. In previous 
years, the summer months were the "dog-days" of the show 
house. Recent developments in refrigeration have made 
available a cool, inviting atmosphere that has banished the 
summer swelter from buildings that have such installations. 
Every important theater in this country will install such appa- 
ratus within five years. The continued improved quality and 
the steady flow of motion pictures also has helped to stabilize 
theater attendance over the seasons. 

I mention these considerations because the earning power 
of theater seats is strictly perishable. If a theater seat is not 
used, the loss can never be recovered. Managements, for ex- 
ample, make a certain allowance for inclement weather that is 
likely to affect the attendance, and plan accordingly. 

Income from sub-rentals (for stores and office rooms that 
are located in a theater building), as well as return from con- 
cessions and privileges, is dealt with either as additional in- 
come, or deducted from the rent paid, in order to derive a net 
rental charge. 

Operating expenses are charged directly against their re- 
spective classifications. This enables executives to make in- 
telligent analyses by comparing ratios with standards which 
are known to be representative and fair. It is not possible 
to comment on each item of the operating statement. Yet 
every expense is shown in the exhibit and I explain a few of 
them. 

The control of payrolls is an important managerial function. 
Wage scales are generally fixed in advance, and executives 
must be certain that such scales are not exceeded. Here again, 
the use of ratios automatically checks payrolls, as variations 
will show a difference in the ratio percentage. Any serious 



210 MOTION PICTURE THEATER MANAGEMENT 



deviation is a matter for investigation. The manager should 
keep track of the matter on some such form as this : 

EXHIBIT 

Percentage of Employees by Departments 



Capacity 1,000 1,500 2,000 2,500 3,000 3,500 4,000 

% % % % % % % 

Administration 7.7 6.9 7.9 7.0 5.6 5.8 5.4 

Cashiers 7.7 6.9 3.9 3.5 4.2 4.7 4.2 

Doorman 7.7 6.9 3.9 5.3 5.7 4.8 4.3 

Carriage 3.8 3.5 1.9 1.8 2.8 2.4 2.1 

Ushers 19.3 27.6 27.6 31.5 28.2 30.0 31.9 

Pages 3.8 3.5 3.9 3.5 2.8 3.5 3.2 

Captains 3.8 3.4 3.9 3.5 2.8 3.6 3.2 

Porters 3.8 3.4 3-9 3-5 2.8 2.4 2.1 

Stage Hands 15.4 13.8 7.9 7.0 8.5 7.2 6.4 

Projectionists 7.7 6.9 5.9 5.3 5.6 4.7 4.3 

Advertising 3.8 3.4 1.9 1.7 2.8 2.4 2.1 

Housekeeping 7.7 6.9 11.8 12.3 14.1 14.3 14.9 

Accounting 3.9 3.5 1.8 1.8 2.8 3.5 3.1 

General 3.9 3.4 13.8 12.3 11.3 10.7 12.8 



Repairs are an item of great importance and cannot be 
given too much supervision. No repairs should be made ex- 
cept through requisition, and every repair should be approved 
by the manager. If it is not carefully watched, the ratio may 
be greatly exceeded. 

The rental consists of real estate taxes, insurance, as well as 
the rental itself. Some accountants prefer to show insurance 
and taxes under separate classifications. If the building is 
owned, rental will also include interest on mortgages, bond 
discounts, etc. Rental expense will not be found alike in any 
two cases. The character of construction and the location 
are costs that influence the rental. 

Most leases provide that the theater company pay insurance 
and taxes. In instances where taxes are included in the rental 
and the city assessment is increased, the theater in most in- 
stances is required to pay all of the increased taxes arising 
therefrom. 

The depreciations of equipment are charges that must be 



California Theatre 




Film 14.8% 

Production 1.6% 

Stage salaries 3-7% 

Talent 1.9% 

Orchestra 147% 



Total 



36.7% 



Newspapers 8.2% 

Accessories 9% 

Billboards, etc 3.7% 



Total 12.8% 



House Salaries 7-7% 

G. O. Supervisions . . 2.7%) 



11. Janitor Service 1.0% 

12. Traveling 2% 

13. Telephone 2% 

14. Electricity 1.1% 

15. Heat and water 2% 

16. Repairs 7% 

17. Misc Supplies 2% 

18. Misc. Expense 6% 

19. Uniforms 1% 

20. Contributions 1% 

21. Rent 30.0% 

22. Insurance 1% 

23. Taxes 2% 



Total 



Total 



Entertainment . , 

Publicity 

Salaries 

General Expense 



10.4% 

Summary 



34-7% 



36.7% 
12.8% 
10.4% 
347% 



Total Expense 94.6% 

Total Receipts 100.0% 

Total Expense 94-6% 



I PROFIT I 

figure 18: Graphic Chart, California Theatre 



5-4% 



212 MOTION PICTURE THEATER MANAGEMENT 



made against income in order that their cost may eventually 
be returned to investors. These have already been listed on 
page 205, In differentiating between depreciation and amor- 
tization, the former is lessening in value because of wear and 
tear, while amortization indicates loss of value through loss 
of time. 

Federal income taxes must be set aside before net earnings 
can be figured. The latter are easily measured against the 
value of fixed assets as disclosed by the balance sheet. The 
ratio between net earnings and net worth is the real measure 
of the efficiency of the business and shows the earning power 
of the enterprise from the investor's point of view. It is the 
final summing up of the enterprise. 

Where theater operations are extensive, a great help to man- 
agements is the use of graphic charts, a comparatively modern 
means of visualizing the results of a department at a glance. 
Such charts cannot replace the statements referred to in these 
chapters, but are of great value in reporting major opera- 
tions and in showing up weaknesses. Resort to financial state- 
ments and ratios that can sift out the trouble. (Figure 18.) 



CHAPTER XXII 



Purchasing and Inventory 



LTHOUGH a theater sells entertainment and service, 



rather than physical commodities like furniture or 



*■* books, it does considerable buying of materials for 
current purposes incidental to operation. Admission tickets, 
for example, are destroyed on use, and must be constantly 
replaced. Bulbs, paint, and cleaning soaps, pails, and brushes 
have a brief span of existence. Bulletins, routine forms, and 
other printing must be renewed from time to time, together 
with other office supplies, like ink, pencils, fasteners, carbon 
paper. The engineer cannot perform his tasks without coal, 
oil, waste rag, and some new tools. I give but a partial, in- 
dicative list. The full enumeration would require pages. 

Since a theater does so much buying, the outlay of money 
makes the matter of supplies a fit subject for financial manipu- 
lation. It makes a great deal of difference whether a mop is 
bought at random or because it is known to give a maximum 
of usefulness for the price. It makes a great deal of difference 
whether bulbs and other expensive materials are under lock 
and key, or lie in the open for any ready hand to seize. It 
makes a great deal of difference, finally, whether the stocks 
are in charge of a responsible person armed with records and 
forms, or whether everybody's business is nobody's business. 
This sort of property is liable, not to one leakage, but to many 
insidious, obscure drains that throw out the profits of hard 
work and good management in other departments. 

The secret of success here, as elsewhere, is organization. 
The pages that follow offer invaluable suggestions culled from 
experience in this industry and others. The functions in- 
volved are carefully discriminated, with plentiful details for 
the handling of each. But, of course, organization alone won't 




213 



214 MOTION PICTURE THEATER MANAGEMENT 



accomplish the aim of economy, What we have here is a 
daily problem in finance. Such a consideration is up to the 
head of administration at all times, and in the final analysis 
is a duty not to be delegated to others. 

PURCHASING 

Most of the purchasing is done under the supervision of 
the manager. This applies to a single theater or to a group 
of theaters, except that management that operates for a cir- 
cuit does practically all of the buying from the purchasing 
department of the company, which develops every possible ad- 
vantage of standarization as well as of group buying. There 
is a distinction, however, between the contracting for motion 
pictures or stage entertainment, and the buying of supplies 
and equipment. This chapter will treat of the securing of the 
latter. 

All purchases of supplies should be made by the manager 
with the advice and cooperation of the department head. 
Statistical records of the transactions are made. Under any 
plan of procedure, it is advisable to have some form of cen- 
tralization, so that purchase records may be readily accessible. 
Where a purchasing department does not function, such files 
should be kept by the accounting department. There are two 
good reasons for this: Adequate entries of materials, quan- 
tity, and price must be kept in any event for accounting pur- 
poses, and it is equally important to have such data available 
to determine future requirements. 

Correct buying is fundamental for operating at a profit. 
This applies to any business. So far as possible, only stand- 
ard supplies should be procured. The guess ought to be taken 
out of purchasing. Management will therefore depend on the 
requirements and the advice of department heads in making 
purchases. The superintendent, for example, who is in charge 
of the cleaning staff, is through personal contact better able 
to judge the quality of cleaning materials than any one else. 
It is therefore sound that his judgment should prevail in the 
purchase of related supplies. This is applicable to all depart- 
ments. However, no department head is to be left to his 



PURCHASING AND INVENTORY 



215 



own devices in such connections. In another chapter, a method 
of checking and passing on repairs is described. In order fully 
to control all expenditures, management should exercise the 
same supervision in regard to purchases as in passing on budget 
recommendations. 

Purchasing policies and methods, moreover, must be estab- 
lished by the management. The department head is limited 
to determining needs, and the verifying of quality, quantities 
and price. He is also to be ready to recommend improved or 
more economical supplies. The rest is handled by centralized 
purchasing, which is characteristic of good management any- 
where. In a large organization, all materials and supplies are 
standardized and a stock room is maintained from which de- 
partment heads requisition the necessary supplies, which are 
chargeable to the department. Inventories and the replenish- 
ing of stock are in charge of a purchasing man, who is held 
accountable to the accounting department. The department 
heads are however responsible for the careful use of all sup- 
plies. Most naturally, those who are expected to produce cer- 
tain results should have a voice in the selection of materials, 
but no more than that. 

A chain operation with theaters in widely scattered cities 
obviously has a purchasing power of considerable means, and 
is expected to concentrate its buying on many articles, since 
that is the most economical thing to do. A smaller organiza- 
tion through local buying has advantages which the larger or- 
ganization has not. The local contact with merchants and 
business people of a community is of good advantage to the 
immediate operation. Some large organizations obtain the 
best results by buying certain supplies on a national basis, but 
do a calculated amount of local business. 

In many chain operations, numerous articles are standard- 
ized. This helps the management to contract for large quan- 
tities with advantages both to buyer and seller. By careful 
study, for instance, it has been possible to adopt a single style 
of uniform for each of the following group of employees: 
doormen, ushers, carriage men, cashiers, pages, and maids. 
All stationery and accounting forms are similarly reduced to a 



216 MOTION PICTURE THEATER MANAGEMENT 



standard. Brands of soaps and cleaning materials, as well as 
housekeeping supplies such as brooms, mops, towels, and car- 
pet sweepers, are of a uniform quality. The simplification of 
materials used results in economy and uniform excellence, as 
well as holding inventories down to a minimum. Certain types 
of equipment have also been determined by large operations. 
Motion picture projectors, organs, opera chairs, music stands, 
pianos, and stage apparatus are of a kind that have been stand- 
ardized to fine advantage. 

Most theaters have centralized buying through the man- 
ager, who approves all requisitions before the actual purchase 
order is written. The only exception is "emergency" expendi- 
ture, which may be made by a department head, providing 
the sum does not exceed a given amount. Such purchases 
are made from the petty cash fund and are to be bought only 
when the material required is not on hand and is essential. 
The necessity of having the manager approve all purchases 
may appear a burden, but experience has shown that one of 
the most important fundamentals of good management is the 
control of every item of expense. Department heads might 
be inclined toward making unnecessary expenditures if such 
control were not exercised. The buying of large organizations 
has been of benefit to the entire industry, because of the in- 
fluence of their purchases in the direction of establishing stand- 
ardization, simplification, and therefore large scale operation. 
This results in more economical production and better service 
and quality, with a decrease of manufacturing overhead. 

Large organizations buy articles on the basis of specifica- 
tion and test, which in turn are based on study and experimen- 
tation. Various articles are used in actual practice and are 
rated as to quality and price under working conditions. The 
results are tabulated by the executive concerned, who confers 
with the manager periodically on that head. 

STOCK AND INVENTORY 

Of equal importance with the proper keeping of records, is 
the control of supplies as to safekeeping as well as economical 



PURCHASING AND INVENTORY 217 



usage. Inventories consequently should be kept as low as pos- 
sibly consistent with good operation. Less storeroom space is 
required, the care of supplies is less difficult, and less money is 
tied up in materials. It is advisable, furthermore, to estab- 
lish an inventory which shows the minimum or maximum 
amount that should be ordered. The maximum is ordered; 
and when the stock falls to its minimum, it is replenished in 
order to bring requirements up to the standard (Figure 19). 



ft»a 

Sou ef 


MAINS A 

ttdmh, 


ffi RRS HAMPSHIRE TEEATE 
INVENTORY RECOR 

Uaem 


ES CCMFAf 



If 


nm 










MAMZOT JUOKU 


MMUa 


makes?* no. 


aas 


nraM.aua 


VAIJJE 




'mmm' 













































































































































































































































































































































































































































FIGURE 19 



The demands of a theater, to give one example, might make 
a maximum of two gross of 10 watt electric bulbs desirable, 
and a minimum of six dozen. These desirable limits are estab- 
lished by experience, after the consuming power of supplies 
has been carefully studied and rated for either extreme. 

Most articles can be accounted for by number rather than 
by measure or weight. A special store room should be pro- 
vided, with metal shelving, and bins in standard sizes which 



218 MOTION PICTURE THEATER MANAGEMENT 



are adjustable. It is not hard to estimate the cubic inches to ac- 
commodate the maximum stock required on each item, and to 
devise the space that will accommodate each item carried, with- 
out waste. Likewise, control of stock is simplified when all 
materials and quantities are visible at a glance. Each section 
should be marked with a tag in a metal container, with maxi- 
mum and minimum, to wit : 

10 Watt Sign Bulbs 
2 Gross 6 Dozen 

Stock taking under such conditions consumes but a few 
moments daily. Errors in running out of goods can be made 
only with difficulty. The vacant spaces on the shelves, to- 
gether with the information tags, automatically point out where 
stock should be replenished. Additional signals may be 
adopted, such as marking an article with a notable colored 
label when the minimum has been reached. When stocks are 
replenished, old packages are brought to front and new stock 
packed in the rear, especially in cases where time is of any 
influence. 

The records that keep track of stock must be complete, and 
must be kept by the accounting department, since materials are 
of the same value as money. 

All articles ordered should be requisitioned on a standard 
purchase form. Telephone or verbal orders should be con- 
firmed on similar forms. Four copies of the form should be 
made for routine disposal. The original should go to the 
dealer from whom the goods are ordered (or to the warehouse, 
in a chain operation) ; one copy to the accounting department; 
one to the file from which order originates; and one to the 
housekeeper, or whoever is placed in charge of store room. 
(Figure 20.) When goods are received, they should be care- 
fully checked as to quality and quantity by the person who 
ordered them, in the presence of the housekeeper or the person 
who is placed in charge of store room. 

The best practice to insure readiness for house requisition 
is to maintain a perpetual inventory, in which goods are added 
to balance on hand, and from which withdrawals are sub- 



*£Dest Coast theatres, 



Inc. 



WASHINGTON AT VERMONT 
Los Angeles, Calif. 

Purchase order 



N? 9254 




QUANTITY 



ARTICLES AND DESCRIPTION 



UNIT PRICE 



.Manager 



Ship to 

ADDRESS. 



VIA. 



WHEN REQUIRED. 



Render Invoice Concurrently With 
Shipment— 

Charge to and Mail Invoice to 
Theatre Issuing Order. 

Invoice MUST Show Order Number 



SUBJECT TO CONDITIONS ON REVERSE HEREOF 



FIGURE 20 

Purchase Order 



220 MOTION PICTURE THEATER MANAGEMENT 



tracted. The balance shows what goods are on hand. The 
perpetual inventory should be checked frequently by the person 
in charge of the store room in the presence of a representative 
of the accounting department. Monthly check-ups are recom- 
mended. Periodical review is needed, and a thirty day interval 
seems the most practicable. 

The accounting department receives invoices which are ap- 
proved by the person who does the ordering, as well as by 
the store room keeper. Copies of all requisitions showing 
withdrawal of supplies are also sent to the accounting depart- 
ment. 

All materials should be kept in a store room, properly pro- 
tected by locks, and the responsibility for stock should be vested 
in a person who is held accountable. No one but the account- 
ing department and the manager should have duplicate keys. 
Withdrawals should be made only on written requisitions. 
Exception is made only in the case of tickets of admission, 
which are to be kept in the manager's or the assistant man- 
ager's office, in a fireproof cabinet under lock, the keys of 
which are to be in the possession only of either the assistant 
manager or the manager, with a master key left in charge of 
the accounting department. All theater tickets are numbered 
consecutively with the number repeated on the reverse side of 
the ticket, in case the pasteboard is torn by the doorkeeper for 
a patron's identification. A different colored paper is used for 
each price. 

Orders for replenishing stocks should be made at definite 
intervals as determined by experience. If a theater has used a 
certain quantity of an article, it can reasonably order a similar 
amount for the same period. 

It is needless to point out that there are many methods yet 
to be worked out in the operation of theaters. Because a thing 
has been done a certain way, does not indicate that it can- 
not be improved. The very essence of progress is to try new 
methods and to experiment away from the beaten track. 
Therefore management should constantly be on the alert for 
improvement whenever it is presented and should encourage 



PURCHASING AND INVENTORY 221 



new ideas. This holds as true of supplies as of anything else 
for care and efficiency, in purchase, stock, and distribution, 
have a direct bearing on profits. 



REQUISITION 

The following routine is recommended in the control of the 
stock room : A department head who orders material makes up 



Mr, _ J2.£Gt/TSfr/OJV-OJZDZJ2/N& , 
MATERIAL from ^TO/Q.E-JQ<3?M. 

THELA TJS.E. 

TO J*rOZ2.ZZ2,OOM 'KINDLY - pEUVER. ro USPAgTMEAJT 


AfS. T/CZ.E. : 


J7ZE* 


























































DA TE 19 

DEPARTMENT HEAD. 

7h:s form to -be - executed, in duplicate, copy to be rent - to- 
Superintendent wit A copy to accounting department. 



FIGURE 21 



the purchase order, with three copies. He retains one copy, 
and one copy apiece goes to the accounting department and 
to the store room keeper. (Figure 21.) 

Supplies received are checked for quantity and quality by 
the department head who did the ordering, and by the store 



222 MOTION PICTURE THEATER MANAGEMENT 



room keeper. The merchandise is then placed in bins pro- 
vided for that purpose. 

The accounting department then enters the purchase on 
the perpetual inventory. 

Materials which are not acceptable should not be placed 
in stock. They should be either returned to the dealer, or set 
aside until final disposition is made of the complaint. Supplies 
are to be furnished to the various departments only on a 
requisition properly authorized. A copy of this is sent to the 
accounting department, which makes the proper deductions 
from the inventory. 

Stock on hand should be inspected frequently, by the store 
room attendant accompanied by an accounting department 
representative. Such inspections should be made at stated in- 
tervals, but not less than at the rate of one each month. In- 
spections help to maintain a high standard in the control of 
supplies, and result in efficient and alert administration of 
such control. 



CHAPTER XXIII 



Insurance 

PROTECTION by adequate insurance is necessary to the 
proper conduct of the business of theater operation. 
Since the main object of insurance is ample protection, 
care must be taken that the policies give what is intended, and 
are not beclouded with legal phrases that are difficult to inter- 
pret. The selection of a qualified broker or agent of the 
highest standing is the best assurance for genuine safety. 
Large chain organizations maintain an insurance department 
which constantly studies every angle of the subject. I list 
below a number of types they, and other sources, recommend : 

FIRE 

In considering Fire Insurance, it is important to under- 
stand the meaning of co-insurance, or the average clause. This 
clause is an agreement on the part of the insured to carry a 
specified proportion of the value of the property, which is gen- 
erally 80 per cent. If this is done, the insured receives the full 
amount of loss, not exceeding the amount of insurance. How- 
ever, if insufficient insurance is carried, the insured becomes a 
co-insurer, and must stand his proportion of the loss. 

THE AVERAGE CLAUSE 



( Value of property $100,000 

When complied with J Required insurance at 80% 80,000 

( Insurance carried 80,000 

Whatever the loss may be, up to $80,000, is paid in full by 
the company. 

S Value of property $100,000 
Insurance required 80% .... 80,000 
Insurance carried 60,000 
Deficiency 20,000 
or 



25% of the required $80,000 
223 



224 MOTION PICTURE THEATER MANAGEMENT 



Therefore the insured must pay 25 per cent, of any loss. 

Since fire insurance is written and losses are paid on replace- 
ment value, it is essential to have a dependable appraisal made 
of fixed machinery, plumbing, and other integral parts of the 
structure. Sufficient insurance in compliance with the co- 
insurance clause should then be obtained. Equipment insur- 
ance is similarly secured for all other contents of the building. 
The insurable value should be determined by the cost of such 
equipment, the cost of repairs and replacements, and of appre- 
ciation or depreciation, whichever the case may be. In so far 
as equipment is used, it is not worth so much as when new. 
It also becomes obsolete although it may not be worn out. 
Therefore the insurable value should be the amount of cost, 
less depreciation from whatever cause. On the other hand, 
improvements or additions to equipment mean additional 
value, and such value should be protected through periodical 
appraisals. 

OCCUPANCY 

Many theater operators, though not all, protect themselves 
with use and occupancy insurance, which provides against loss 
of use of the damaged premises as a result of fire, until re- 
pairs are completed. Fire insurance, of course, pays only for 
replacement of physical property damaged or destroyed by 
conflagration; whereas use and occupancy insurance is in- 
tended to cover loss or profits, and fixed charges such as rent, 
salaries, taxes, interest, and other items which accrue even 
though business is at a standstill. The necessity for this form 
of insurance must be determined by the manager. It is a pro- 
tection well worth while considering. Use and occupancy in- 
surance is also obtainable to cover loss of the use of theater 
because of water damage, tornado, explosion, riot, and other 
causes. Such policies are written separately, and are not car- 
ried in one blanket document. When a lessee makes improve- 
ments and additions, these should always be specified as being 
insured under the various policies, in order to avoid misunder- 
standing in the event of loss, as to whether ownership of such 
improvements rests with the lessee or the landlord. 



INSURANCE 



225 



LEASEHOLD 

Leasehold Insurance is intended to cover the increase of rent 
in the event it is necessary to lease other premises at a higher 
rate, because the occupied accommodations are damaged suffi- 
ciently to cause the existing lease to be canceled. Such pos- 
sibilities are very remote, and protection may be provided in 
the fire clause of the lease at the time of rental. 

RENTAL INCOME 

Insurance Against the Loss of Rental Income may 
be obtained. It is known as Rent and Rental- Value In- 
surance. Some theater operations receive sub-rentals from 
stores and offices and depend upon the income to help meet 
fixed charges; therefore protection against the loss of this in- 
come is sought. 

water damage 

Insurance Against Water Damage provides protection 
against losses because of the bursting of water or steam pipes, 
of a leaky roof, and of every other damage caused by water, 
except that which is caused by water used to extinguish fires. 
The last is covered by fire insurance. Damage resultant from 
the breakage of sprinkler systems is covered under the sprin- 
kler leakage policy : 

SPRINKLER LEAKAGE 

Sprinkler Leakage Insurance covers loss caused by 
breakage of the sprinkler system, such as the bursting of 
risers, sprinkler heads discharging, or being knocked off, the 
collapse of roof tanks, etc. 

PLATE GLASS 

Plate Glass Insurance is an agreement to replace all 
glass that may be broken, and theaters should carry such cov- 
erage where plate glass runs into any material value. Insur- 
ance is not confined to street- front plate glass, but includes 
frames, furniture tops, door panels, skylights, etc. Premiums 



226 MOTION PICTURE THEATER MANAGEMENT 



for this type of coverage are dependent upon price conditions 
in the plate glass industry, and vary accordingly. Each place 
insured is mentioned specifically in one policy. 

BURGLARY AND ROBBERY 

Burglary Insurance for a large theater should cover bur- 
glary, theft, and larceny of theater property, and burglarizing 
of safes and their contents, in order to provide against dam- 
age caused by burglars as well as the loss of the value of stolen 
articles or money. Safe Burglary Insurance is the form most 
commonly carried. 

There is a marked distinction between burglary and robbery 
insurance. Burglary, theft, and larceny are covered by bur- 
glary insurance, and are considered acts of stealth committed 
without the knowledge of the owner. Robbery, however, is 
an act committed in the presence of the person or persons who 
are placed in jeopardy in the commission of the act. Burglary 
policies do not cover hold-up or robbery. 

Robbery Insurance covers losses occasioned by hold-up, 
either inside or outside of the theater. Messengers on the way 
to and from banks are frequently held up. Cashiers and other 
employees are also subject to robbery. 

Regardless of insurance, house managers should take every 
precaution to protect the funds of the theater. Money should 
not be allowed to accumulate in the box office. Receipts should 
be collected from the box offices at stated intervals during the 
day by the house manager, leaving only sufficient cash for 
change. Employees should not be paid in cash, but through 
check, which is more businesslike and more prudent. Em- 
ployees should be instructed to comply with an armed robber's 
command. No amount of money can restore a life. Deposits 
must be made daily, and bank messengers should be bonded, 
and protected by hold-up insurance. 

Boiler Insurance is a protection against losses caused by 
explosion, collapse, or rupture of those vessels. Insurance for 
fractures and cracks which may occur is charged for extra. 
The loss is not restricted to the boiler, but in addition covers 



INSURANCE 



227 



loss in damage to the building or surrounding property as a 
result of the mishap. The policy likewise includes defense 
against legal action brought against the owner, as a result of 
accidents. Many boiler policies cover personal injuries to a 
limited extent. 

ENGINE BREAKING 

Engine Breaking Insurance is protection against loss 
due to the breaking down of an engine and covers damage to 
property because of accidents caused by the engine, such as 
when a fly wheel, or other part, breaks and causes damage. 
This policy is intended to cover machines, such as steam en- 
gines, air and ammonia compressors, pumps, and practically 
every device which provides motion by aid of a cylinder — ex- 
cluding, however, driven machines, gears, pipes, couplings, etc. 

ELECTRICAL MACHINERY 

Electrical Machinery Insurance is intended to cover 
machines operated by electricity and includes motors, gener- 
ators, etc. It may also be extended to include switchboards, 
control devices, and similar units. The standard fire insurance 
policy does not cover fires of a purely electrical nature, short 
circuits, etc. 

The outstanding advantage of boiler, engine breaking, and 
electrical machinery insurance is the splendid and constant 
system of inspection provided by the insurance companies. 
As may be expected, such inspections prevent serious accidents 
and result in a better upkeep of this type of property. 

FIDELITY BONDS 

Fidelity Bonds are of importance to the theater employing 
a large staff. All employees who are entrusted with funds 
should be covered by bond, because it is good business prac- 
tice. 

The "position" form of insurance is desirable in this con- 
nection, since it covers the position and is not limited to the 
individual employed. Thus it covers any employee who fills 
the specified position dealt with in the policy immediately upon 



228 MOTION PICTURE THEATER MANAGEMENT 



his assumption of that position. In this way, if a floor cap- 
tain must be assigned as cashier in an emergency, it is un- 
necessary to inform the bonding company. Fidelity Bonds not 
only offer protection against losses due to dishonesty, but also 
frequently discourage persons of dishonest tendencies from 
applying for bonded positions. Further, the knowledge that a 
man is bonded may deter him from dishonesty for he realizes 
that he has to deal with a bonding company which will pursue 
him relentlessly in case of default. The positions to be pro- 
tected in this way must be determined by the management, but 
it is a good practice to bond all employees who occupy posts 
of trust. This cannot be considered a reflection against any 
employee, since the bonding of employees is a common prac- 
tice in every modern business enterprise. 

TORNADO AND FLOOD 

Tornado Insurance, referred to as "Windstorm," covers 
damage caused by this force of nature. The type of insurance 
is similar to that against fire, and carries certain restrictions 
against claims for hail, rain, sleet, etc. In the tornado belt of 
America, this form of insurance is desirable, but as a general 
practice it is of doubtful value. Flood Insurance fits into 
the same category. 

FINE ARTS 

Fine Arts Insurance is essential where art objects of 
value, such as rare paintings, tapestries, bronzes, and statuary 
are part of the equipment of the theater. This type of policy 
covers practically every form of risk, including fire, theft, 
transportation, breakage, etc., and is a desirable form of pro- 
tection when valuable art objects are not easily replaced. 

COMPENSATION 

Workmen's Compensation Insurance. Most states in 
America now have a compulsory workmen's compensation act, 
which requires every employer of labor to provide his em- 
ployees with insurance against loss of earnings and to provide 
death benefits and medical expenses because of injuries caused 



INSURANCE 



229 



by reason of such employment. The premium is based on the 
actual payroll, and the rates are based on the class of operation. 
Premiums are reduced where experience justifies a decrease or 
on the other hand they may be increased if experience is un- 
favorable. Safety methods and the prevention of accidents 
determine such reductions. 

PUBLIC LIABILITY 

Public Liability Insurance is a form that no theater 
should be without. It protects the theater against claims for 
physical injuries to the public as a result of the operation of 
the theater, and is covered in different classes, which may be 
enumerated as follows : 

1. Owners', Landlords' and Tenants' Liability is pro- 
tection against claims made against any of the three mentioned 
parties, by reason of injuries occurring in the theater building, 
or on the sidewalks or alleys adjoining or surrounding it, or it 
may cover certain types of accidents away from the premises 
which are the result of the business carried on. This insurance 
covers claims which may arise by reason of tripping over floor 
coverings, falling down stairs, or similar accidents, which are 
likely to occur in or about a theater building. 

2. Elevator Liability Insurance covers personal inju- 
ries caused by the operation of elevators, escalators, or other 
lifting apparatus, such as elevated orchestra lifts, etc., depend- 
ing on the coverage shown in the policy. The amount to be 
carried must be determined by the management, after taking 
into consideration the type and number of people who would 
use such lifting facilities, and the size of the theater. Inspec- 
tion service given by the insurance companies is of the greatest 
value here, and their recommendations should be carried out. 

3. Rain Insurance is a special protection when a manage- 
ment wishes to provide against loss due to rain at the time of 
an important or costly attraction, fearing that the inclement 
weather may affect the attendance at the theater. The rates 
vary, depending upon the time covered and the extent of the 
protection desired. The management should bear in mind, 



230 MOTION PICTURE THEATER MANAGEMENT 



however, that this insurance is expensive, and should be em- 
ployed under abnormal conditions only. 

EXECUTIVES 

Life Insurance for Executives has become a general 
practice, and many large organizations insure important execu- 
tives for the benefit of the operating company. This compen- 
sates the company for the loss of a man who might be a domi- 
nant factor in the further development of the enterprise, and 
whose replacement would entail loss of time, prestige or serv- 
ices too valuable to compute in dollars. Most important op- 
erations center around some individual of directing ability; 
and this type of insurance is a means of offsetting the finan- 
cial loss that would be incurred by that executive's death. 
Many large corporations protect their stockholders by carrying 
insurance on the lives of the principal officers. This is con- 
sidered good practice amongst leading industrial organizations, 
because it increases confidence among investors. 

GROUP LIFE 

Group Life Insurance has been adopted by many large 
organizations, and is of fine value in helping to build morale 
amongst employees. It is an expression of appreciation and 
good will and an indication that the welfare of the employee 
is being considered by the management. This brings about a 
closer relationship, and a greater interest on the part of the 
employees. The cost of group insurance is very small, and 
helps to reduce the large turnover in an organization, by hold- 
ing an increased percentage for long periods. 

personal hazards 

Huge organizations have recognized their obligations in 
guarding faithful employees against accident and sickness, so 
far as possible. Many have covered their employees with 
group life insurance. Others have encouraged employees to 
form mutual benefit associations which provide cash payments 
for limited periods of sickness. A few large organizations have 
bonus plans through which the corporation adds a certain per- 



INSURANCE 



231 



cemage each year to the sum saved by employees, provided the 
funas are kept intact for a number of years. Such funds are 
frequently used in the purchase of valuable securities, causing 
the employees' fund to appreciate considerably. Most of these 
principles could be adopted by every worthwhile theater opera- 
tion in modified form. A policy of good will toward employees 
results in many advantages to operations and has a tendency 
to build a spirit in an organization that makes continued suc- 
cess more assured. 

GENERAL REMARKS 

It may be seen, then, that insurance serves more ends than 
one. The obvious aim is to protect profits against inroads by 
forces of nature, by suits of various kinds, and by the death 
of money-making brains and hands. A secondary object is to 
add a measure of external pressure upon organization and 
growth, since policies are like budgets against liability, pre- 
serving equilibrium and distorted costs, and preventing ruin. 
A third purpose is to increase the safety of public and per- 
sonnel by engaging, incidentally, the prevention service which 
most companies offer with their policies. A fourth end is to 
inspire confidence in the financial world, and to remove wor- 
ries from the thoughts of management. And finally, insurance 
offers another proved means of building up loyalty and per- 
manence among workers. The manager should have a good 
idea of the risk he is taking on himself or asking the insurance 
companies to take for him. He should keep in mind the law 
of averages. He should realize in taking insurance that of 
the dollar that he spends only fifty cents will be used for pay- 
ment of losses, and therefore there are many risks of a minor 
nature which he can well afford to assume himself. 

If a manager finds that he cannot afford some of the forms 
I have listed, then that is his situation, and he must make the 
best of it and trust to Providence. Or, if after giving the 
matter close thought, he believes that this or that type is un- 
suited to his operation, he must be the best and only judge. 
He should not allow himself to be scared into carrying un- 
necessary forms of insurance by an overzealous or unscrupu- 



232 MOTION PICTURE THEATER MANAGEMENT 



lous agent. He should have the courage of his convictions. 
My only recommendation is that he should at least keep an 
open mind and an active interest in the matter. Attention 
should be paid — eagerly — to information of any sort from 
whatever source, if the final action is to be based on a sifting 
of the facts. Furthermore, every effort at inquiry into rates 
and conditions should be made before a specific project is re- 
jected. Here is a field in which no torpid or lazy mind can 
succeed. Insurance, like rent, has a place in contemporary 
commerce which is firmly intrenched by experience, and for 
reasons no alert executive would bother to deny. 

CONCLUSION 

If management finds, for example, that a certain type of 
policy would show results on the balance sheet, it is sound 
commercial practice to make the investment. Should funds 
not be otherwise available for the purpose, it devolves on the 
executive to raise them from within, by the practice of some 
worthwhile economy. This is not done at random. The need 
takes concrete form first in the staff conferences, where the 
manager announces his intention and such plans as he has for- 
mulated for its performance. He calls for and receives sug- 
gestions or protests. The whole thing is reasoned out on the 
basis of the common weal, and the items agreed upon for re- 
trenchment are thus entered on the next budget. Proper con- 
trol and supervision are then exercised by means of the weekly 
and the monthly statement. If all goes well, the aim is attained ; 
that is, in this case, the saving is accomplished, and the funds 
are raised to defray the expense of the additional security. 

The above is but one instance of financial operation, but it 
is representative. I offer it as an example of what I mean by 
the overwhelming importance of the financial function of man- 
agement. In order to have time for such and other manipula- 
tions, the head of the house must free himself, comparatively, 
from petty details of routine which may very well be entrusted 
to capable associates. He must train these men to do his work 
and to train others in turn. Money is made when the pro- 
grams and the advertising and the house draw big crowds 



INSURANCE 



233 



through the turnstile; and when the quality of service and 
safety and comfort bring the crowds back again. Money is 
saved when the records are correct and informative, when 
waste is eliminated in personnel and equipment, when insur- 
ance nails big losses in advance. That is why the leader in 
motion picture production must know something of every 
phase of the business — not for the ornamentation of his mind, 
but for increased ingenuity and confidence in securing better 
and better returns. 

In closing this part of the book, therefore, I cannot refrain 
from pointing out how it crowns the preceding sections as a 
kind of climax, drawing all threads of information into the 
golden ring, as the manager should gather those reins of power, 
the purse strings, into one firm and resourceful grasp. 

When he has done this, and all it implies, successfully, his 
enterprise is probably ready for some of the refinements and 
developments which I go on to list in the next part — develop- 
ments that may lift his business to a higher level of public re- 
gard and patronage. 



Part VI 

Auxiliary and Contributive Elements 



CHAPTER XXIV 



Expert Advice 

THE part of this book which now opens, is a miscellany 
of elements not directly included in motion picture 
operation, but prominent in connection with it. Some 
of the topics to be discussed are the names of features already 
rooted in the more extensive or more ambitious soil of the 
industry: advertising, color effects, stage production. Others 
are comparatively new, but none the less tending to perma- 
nence, as in the case of refrigeration. Each of them, however, 
stands out as a distinct realm of initiative in growth ; and they 
have been grouped here for no better reason than that their 
individuality makes it impossible to put them elsewhere with- 
out subordinating their uniqueness to some consideration not, 
strictly, more important. 

These fields of endeavor within the realm of our business 
have resulted from the amazing expansion which has neces- 
sitated the marking off of specialities for the convenience and 
the very life of organization. When I say "specialities" I 
mean all that the word implies. Music, for instance, is a 
department that needs qualified educational antecedents in the 
director. Few managers could lead an orchestra; unless I 
err greatly, no manager should. His calling is elsewhere. 
The same is true in the now highly technical profession of 
publicity. 

Specialization, markedly so in large scale operation, is with 

us. And before taking up the exposition of so many varied 

matters, I wish to use this chapter as a kind of introduction. 

I wish to present the matter of expert advice, from both within 

and without the organization, and to point out the useful, and 

often necessary contacts that may be made by an executive 

along a rich variety of lines. 

In the business of operating theaters, management fre- 

237 



238 MOTION PICTURE THEATER MANAGEMENT 



quently requires expert advice and guidance outside of its 
own organization, and therefore must realize the importance 
of securing the help of well-chosen councilors on such occa- 
sions. Theater operation covers so many different fields of 
endeavor that it is impossible to have all the expert assistance 
on a given staff; and very often executive decisions must be 
made with the help of trained opinion on many problems that 
arise. 

The relationship management has with its bankers and 
lawyers, for instance, must be very close. Both should be 
considered consultants of great value. To secure the utmost 
benefits, no facts must be kept from them. Thus they may 
give their best opinions on the subjects they are so familiar 
with — the bankers in financial matters, and the lawyers in 
the statutory. Yet, although the manager must value the 
opinion of such advisors, on the other hand he must assume 
all of the responsibility of carrying out the suggestions, him- 
self. The lawyer may advise a suit — yet the judgment of the 
operator may be that such action would result in an unfor- 
tunate reaction. It is not good policy, for example, for man- 
agement to encourage a suit brought by a patron who has 
suffered damage, so long as there is a chance to make settle- 
ment out of court. If the suit is one of liability, and the the- 
ater is covered by insurance, then, of course, the situation must 
necessarily be guided by the wishes of the insurance company. 
At times, too, there are disputes between exhibitors and dis- 
tributors. Such contests rarely find themselves in court, be- 
cause of an arbitration clause contained in the contract, which 
has proved very effective. Disputes arising are accordingly 
arbitrated through boards, located at various exchange centers, 
and consisting of an equal number of exhibitors and exchange 
managers. These boards have been remarkably successful, 
and thousands of cases are settled yearly without resort to 
litigation. A business that is before the public eye should make 
every effort to keep out of court. 

A banker may refuse financial aid; but the manager may 



EXPERT ADVICE 



239 



go ahead and get the money elsewhere. A banker may be en- 
tirely too conservative, and in that way advise against expan- 
sion, or the installation of a much needed improvement. 
Whether or not management heeds such advice, it is never- 
theless good practice to discuss the plans with the bank. The 
final decision, whether to go ahead or not, is for management 
to decide, because success or failure will depend upon the 
judgment used. 

In matters of insurance, the management will seek advice 
from the insurance experts who are attached to all of the re- 
putable agencies. In projection problems experts are avail- 
able. Most of the trade journals employ technical editors who 
are well versed in problems pertaining to projection. Prac- 
tically every recognized supply house also has projection ex- 
perts available, who will cheerfully give advice in their field. 
Lighting engineers can give advice on lighting problems. 
Management has direct access to lighting engineers who are 
attached to the research staff of the lamp companies. Proper 
lighting for motion picture theaters is of great importance, and 
the fullest advantage should be taken of consulting with such 
engineers about exterior or interior lighting for the lobbies 
and the auditorium, as well as the stage. Ventilation, heat- 
ing or refrigeration engineers can give technical information 
on tfreir subjects. The manufacturers of apparatus for these 
purposes employ technicians and will gladly place them at man- 
agement's disposal on any problem that may dovetail with that 
of theater operation. Decorators who specialize in theater 
work are also available. In the production department, ex- 
perts may be secured in every variety of theatricals, who can 
give technical knowledge on questions that arise. The book- 
ing offices are conducted by expert showmen who can give 
advice as to talent for stage work. From all these the man- 
ager may seek information, in order to have the proper knowl- 
edge before him in coming to decisions. He may seek sup- 
porting data and may discuss and reject recommendations; 
yet the information such experts bring before him makes it pos- 
sible for him to weigh the facts, and form the right conclu- 



240 MOTION PICTURE THEATER MANAGEMENT 



sion. In employing such aides, it is perhaps needless to point 
out that he must engage people whose opinions deserve respect 
and confidence. Even though his conclusions are adverse to 
recommendations that are made by them, he must use tact, to 
preserve the best efforts of his advisors. 

The services of expert accountants and auditors are of course 
an accepted practice in most organizations. On many matters 
they may be referred to with benefit. Public accountants are 
equipped to do the following : 

a. Audit services at stated intervals (quarterly, semi-annually) 

depending on financial necessity. The extent of the audit 
depends on requirements. 

b. Render investigations in connection with organization mat- 

ters, etc. 

c. Establish accounting methods. 

d. Render advice, or sit in consultation. 

Accountants may also be used in securing financial informa- 
tion in either the purchase or sale of the business, and of 
course may be used in connection with investigations of every 
character. There are advantages in having expert advice 
from accountants who have a clearer perspective than is found 
among bookkeeping department men, who probably are too 
close to their problems to have as detached a point of view 
as the outsider. This is particularly true in regard to tax 
matters, which should in most cases be studied by a specialist 
in fiscal affairs, so that the intricacies of the law and its prac- 
tices may be thoroughly understood. The consulting account- 
ant can also be used to advantage in installing new systems, 
in establishing the machinery to make available statistical in- 
formation, in designing the forms for such information as the 
manager may require, and in organizing analytical service 
for the accounting department. 

Dealers in various lines have available experts who can ad- 
vise them on many problems pertaining to their equipment, 
and such advice frequently is of great value. Again, organ 
manufacturers employ experts who not only advise on matters 
pertaining to their musical instruments, but also have avail- 
able a list of organists, from among whom the management 



EXPERT ADVICE 



241 



may make selection. Seat manufacturers can give valuable 
information pertaining to theater seating, as well as to layouts, 
standards, etc. 

Industrial engineers have been of service in devising meth- 
ods for manufacturing establishments. They can analyze a 
business in all its phases, but such engineers have not been 
able to contribute very much to the business of theater opera- 
tion, perhaps because of the human element involved in the- 
ater management. The reason for this may arise from limited 
demand for such services in the field of theater operation. 
As demand for their services increases, the industrial engineers 
who specialize in theater operation may develop into a branch 
of the profession. 

Science is contributing its efforts toward theater manage- 
ment through the National Bureau of Standards, a Govern- 
ment agency of the United States Department of Commerce. 
Under the auspices of the bureau, much good has already been 
accomplished. The Bureau has established a handbook on mo- 
tion picture engineering, with much tabulated data of value. 
It has also done a great deal in encouraging development in 
photography, color, illumination, sound, and lenses, as well as 
in refrigeration, heating, and ventilation. 

There are other specialists that may be called in by manage- 
ment, all of whom have concentrated on a particular branch. 
Whenever these are available, they should be drafted for their 
advice, on which definite conclusions can be made. The man- 
ager should realize that he has limitations, and that if special- 
ized knowledge can be secured, it is sound to draw from such 
sources from time to time. A management's skill is demon- 
strated through the knowledge of those with whom it sur- 
rounds itself. It is wise to pool this knowledge, using what- 
ever contributes to the welfare of the business. Such theaters 
as are part of a large organization naturally have at their dis- 
posal the expert advice of many home office executives, making 
it unnecessary, perhaps, to go out of the organization on many 
matters. 



CHAPTER XXV 



Advertising 




iHERE are many and varied angles to theater publicity 



and advertising. Both are closely related and should 



-**- be coordinated as much as possible. In the small the- 
ater, it is quite customary for the manager personally to under- 
take the work pertaining to advertising and publicity, some- 
times with the aid of a local newspaper or advertising man. 
In the larger theater, expert publicity men are responsible for 
the advertising of the theater and its attractions. 

Advertising is of extreme importance. It is the mouth- 
piece of the management, the instrument through which the 
theater speaks to its public. It is the one medium which a 
theater can use in lieu of salesmanship. It is salesmanship. 
The institutional advertising done by the Balaban & Katz the- 
aters in Chicago as well as the West Coast Theatres was effec- 
tive in convincing the public that their houses and their opera- 
tion were superior, and resulted in building a good will, and at 
the same time in setting up an ideal to aim for. Such advertis- 
ing fulfills its mission in the broadest sense. (Figures 22 and 



Management must display showmanship in advertising, just 
as much as on the screen or the stage. Advertising can do a 
great deal towards adding to or detracting from the good will 
of a theater. Advertising must always be honest with the 
public. There can be no exaggerations, if advertising is to 
be effective. 

Great strides have been made in the past few years in the 
character of the advertising of motion picture theaters. Ex- 
travagant adjectives used to be very commonplace and even 
to-day motion picture patrons read such ads with a great 
amount of tolerance. In the better theaters, however, adver- 
tising is prepared by men who carefully plan their campaigns, 



23O 



242 



ADVERTISING 



243 



and every effort is made to appeal honestly to the patron. 
Style has replaced worn out phrases, and good layout and il- 
lustrations have taken the place of extravagant use of space. 

There is no uniform method of advertising for theaters that 
could be adopted nationally, since each city or town has its 
local problems which must be studied carefully. What may 
be good advertising for a theater in New York may not be 
of value in other localities. 

Advertising, to be effective, must not necessarily be of the 
profusely lavish sort. There is a certain point beyond which 
large space may become waste. The law of diminishing re- 
turns makes it essential for each management carefully to 
analyze its advertising possibility. It is just as much folly to 
overadvertise as it is not to advertise at all. 

Advertising is commercially divided into five different 
classifications : 

(a) Publicity 

(b) Newspaper advertising 

(c) Bill-posting 

(d) Exploitation 

(e) Miscellaneous 

These will be discussed separately, but with the idea always 
in mind that they are closely related and that their coordination 
is advantageous and desirable. 

Publicity. This term is usually intended to mean news- 
paper stories, magazine articles, trade paper notices, and all 
mention of a theater or its attractions in a way which is not 
directly paid for. If a theater is of sufficient size to employ 
a publicity man or press representative, the investment is jus- 
tified. Otherwise, the manager or a local newspaper man un- 
dertakes this work. The publicity man will keep in constant 
touch with the management, and will secure information in 
advance as to the motion picture features and other attrac- 
tions booked for the theater. He will maintain personal con- 
tact with the editors of the newspapers, and continually study 
the story possibilities of all bookings. He writes up the com- 
ing attractions and plants them in the newspaper. He places 
photographs of important players or scenes with those news- 



244 MOTION PICTURE THEATER MANAGEMENT 



papers or magazines which use such illustrations. During the 
engagement he writes stories for the newspapers to maintain 
interest in the attraction. 

Such a story may explain the experiences encountered in 
the taking of scenes of the motion picture being shown, or 
may relate to some important screen personality. The story 
should always be of interest, or else it will not be read. If 
it is uninteresting, it does not serve to make an impression on 
the reader, and no good can come of it. For example, in the 
making of "The Covered Wagon," it was necessary to estab- 
lish what was virtually a town in the desert, with an electric 
plant, sanitation, policing, and quarters and provisions for over 
a thousand persons. On such information a story interesting 
to the public can be written. Another basis for a good story 
is an unusual circumstance, such as the one related by Mr. 
Jesse L. Lasky in the making of a motion picture picturing a 
strong personality. The player selected for an important role 
was suitable in every way excepting that he had what might be 
termed an inferiority complex. In order to overcome this de- 
ficiency, Mr. Lasky conducted an interesting experiment. He 
ordered the man clothed by the best tailors, and had him 
brought to the best clubs, where he could come in contact with 
persons of means and accomplishment. Within a month, the 
new environment brought to the man a confidence that was sur- 
prising. Of such material, splendid publicity stories are made. 

The resourcefulness of the press representative commands 
the space he is able to secure in the newspapers. Newspaper 
editors look upon the press representative as a "necessary 
evil." Yet he and his material are always welcome if the 
stories have interest for their readers. If the stories have no 
interest, it could not do the theater much good to have them 
published. 

The press representative of ability does not write stereo- 
typed stories, nor does he send the same story to all newspapers. 
He attempts to prepare a special story for each journal which 
will have an appeal for the particular class of readers 
of that paper. The story meant for a tabloid newspaper, 




The Tittle Chicago" 

-the most exclusive theatre 
in the world 

On the top floor of the Chicago 

Theatre building is the "Little Chicago." the 
private theatre of Balaban & Kau, and the only one of 
to kud In the world. 

No admission price is charged to 

this theatre. The public has never seen it 
't even know it exists. It opens its doors only 
ib*rt oi tt» B-ahbu: & Ktu ocgaaiittion. ft i» their 



The "LITTLE CHICAGO" seats 

only 250 people, yet it is as completely equipped 
'an *sy thturi m tht UnJ. It has a wide, deep and com* 

plcte etej*. wingt. drop*, cur Ulna. »pot-B-bls, colored tight*, 
reeving -picture screen, dresein*; room* end every facility and 
csavenicao* taio^e-i to the modern play-how*. 

The "LITTLE CHICAGO" is a try. 

cut theatre where the executives of the Balaban 
A JUtz organization, the theatrical experts, moving* 
picture expert*, muska) directors, light end scenic t 



it it passed upon end approved by this entire orfanisttion,. 

It is a very critical "audience" It is 
a paid audience, composed of men chosen from 
the very top of their professions. Each u a recogmztj 
tPtrimJiit. And they use their combined oreia* end knowledge, 
and devote their lives to developing entertainment {or )J«. 



BALABAN & KATZ 



Oucap 



Tivoli 



Rivier 



Central Park 



Roosevelt 



FIGURE 22 

Specimen Balaban & Katz Institutional Advertising 





Honssty breeds .confidence and confi- 
dence brings success, When West Coast 
Theaters "guarantee" their entertain- 
ment, they know, through vast experi* 
ence, tlje worth of the attractions offered. 

Thank you, San Francisco, for your con- 
fidence, for accepting our guarantee — 
for making possible one of the greatest, 
operiings in the history of local theaters. 



THE VfflfofAU FLLflr*M«AFRAMCir 

. . . this is the wonder engagement of all time- 
but it cannot stay forever! Here is a page torn from 
the book of life ... a drama never equaled in 
the memory of man. Emil Jannings is superb ; Belle 
Bennett and Phyllis Haver are excellent. Much of 
the success of "The Way of All Flesh" is/ 'due to 
those who return to see it again — and again. 

METROPOLIAN GRANADA 



Let it be everlastingly recorded to the credit of San 
Francisco that theatregoers gave this magnificent 
motion picture a tremendous ovation . . . you, 
too, will feel like cheering after you witness the won- 
ders of "Metropolis.** 

On the stage— Jane ' Green— Oscar Taylor the 18 
Sunkkt Beauties and Frank Jenks with his band. 

BU/TiR KEATOH ai VQ&ff WAREiEiD 

. . one of the best things Buster has ever done.** 
This seems the verdict of the happy thousands after 
laughing heartily at ^College." Romance, a thrill— 
and fun. 

George Givot— Mitchell and Durant — they took five 
.encores Sunday night — Nell Kelly and Walt Roesner 
make Fanchon and Marco's "Pep" one of the best 
acts of the year. 

CHANG' at t» CALIFORNIA 

• . . today, tomorrow and Thursday — then 
•'Chang" will be gone forever. Don't miss it — see it 
now — with Gino Seven's exc/llent musical setting. 
There is an Edward Everett Horton comedy, too. 

On Friday; "The Big Parade,** and at our regular 
prices. 



FIGURE 23 

Specimen West Coast Institutional Advertising 



ADVERTISING 



247 



though it may be a very worthy sheet, might be hardly suit- 
able for the readers of the Journal of Commerce. 

Forced publicity is not desirable for high grade theaters. 
By this is meant a type of exaggerated and hackneyed stories 
which are only resented by editors and public alike. Publicity 
that is telling should be based on new and interesting stories, 
and such efforts require the best available imaginative writers. 
It is entirely legitimate to capitalize on publicity and every 
effort should be made to secure it, to the fullest extent. For 
those who are interested, the subject is a broad one, and many 
valuable books have been written on it. 

Management should constantly strive to make the theater a 
social center of the community. It should be a natural meet- 
ing place. Therefore the operator should take an active part 
in all worthwhile civic events. The theater should help to 
spread the holiday spirit on patriotic holidays, and should per- 
mit the use of its screen for such purposes as will benefit the 
community. By furnishing high grade, clean motion pictures 
and attractions, as well as fine music, the house makes a splen- 
did contribution to the community, in addition to attracting the 
good will of the best element. Its civic obligations must be 
recognized, because it is a community enterprise. No other 
business is so sensitive to public opinion. The publicity must 
therefore do everything possible to cultivate the community 
spirit, so that people will think of the theater as their theater. 
Publicity is an instrument that must be sharpened continu- 
ously and wielded incessantly. Used persistently, it will bring 
surprising results. 

Newspapers are the most powerful means of reaching the 
public. The press has been important to the motion picture 
theater, and the motion picture theater has been of importance 
to the press. It is a case of genuine mutuality. Advertising 
in newspapers may take one of two forms. It may be de- 
signed to "sell" the show and the theater, or it may be the 
directory type of advertising, consisting of informative copy in 
small space. During week days, except Saturdays, many large 
theaters depend upon the directory form of advertising. On 
Saturdays and Sundays, the flash, or selling copy is used. 



248 MOTION PICTURE THEATER MANAGEMENT 



Large space is necessary in order to display copy that sells. 
There is no established rule as to how great such space should 
be. In large cities, the cost of big space is prohibitive, and 
therefore the size of display ads is governed by the newspaper's 
rates. 

There is no definite ratio of the sum expended generally 
for newspaper advertising. It varies according to the type 
of theater and its location. A first run theater in the down- 
town section of a city expects to attract patronage from every 
section, and consequently its campaign is planned to reach all 
sections. In New York, for example, a first run theater on 
Broadway will spend approximately from fifteen hundred to 
five thousand dollars a week on advertising. The theater 
which is located in a residential section and expects to reach 
only persons living there, will limit its expenditure accord- 
ingly, and localize its advertising campaign. Management 
must study its possibilities in providing a budget figure for this 
purpose, since budgeting necessitates careful analysis as to re- 
quirements, and also compels a consistency in the advertising 
program. 

Advertising copy is generally prepared by the publicity man 
or the manager. In large theaters, special copy men are em- 
ployed for this purpose. There is no magic formula for suc- 
cess in this field. Good, constructive ideas and resourcefulness 
are the basis of good advertising. It should inject the per- 
sonality of the institution into its form and copy. Advertising 
unity has become an art and calls for imagination and ability 
of the highest order. Truth is the prime essential. The writ- 
ing of copy is being developed to the highest standards through 
the efforts of many who recognize it as worthy of the best and 
most serious effort. Good advertising is based on simple and 
effective expression in few words, on carefully planned copy, 
and on typography and design that are attention-attracting, and 
yet artistic. Illustrations may be used to advantage. A Chinese 
adage says that one picture is worth 10,000 words. An exag- 
geration, no doubt; but it emphasizes the point. 

Advertisers should govern their newspaper expenditures 
upon the circulation of the newspapers to be used, as shown 



ADVERTISING 



249 



in the Audit Bureau of Circulation's report (A. B. C). This 
report gives the number of paid subscribers of every news- 
paper in America. 

Policy or institutional advertising, in which the theater 
itself is sold to the public, has proven a good business invest- 
ment as well as a good will builder. Results may be ob- 
tained either in the use of large space occasionally, or in small 
space which is used insistently. A carefully planned campaign 
will bring good results. All ads should have a recognizable 
signature cut. Black and white illustrations, which specialize 
in short, breezy copy on the theater's advantages, make the 
most telling copy. The idea in writing the copy is to get a 
popular appeal. You can speak of the beauty and comfort of 
the theater — the service — the music — and the management's 
policies. The copy should take its keynote from the theater 
itself, and be reflective of its operation. 

Striking illustrations help to tell your story and are atten- 
tion attractors. It may be unnecessary to point out that a na- 
tural style, of simple wording, generally gets the best results. 
On holidays this kind of space gives an opportunity to tie-up 
with the holiday spirit through a few facts pertaining to the 
occasion. This method of advertising suggests timeliness as 
well as civic interest. 

Bill-posting. The modern poster, or outdoor display, was 
first used in connection with theater publicity, and is to-day 
considered an important branch of theater advertising. It 
was in 1866 that Jules Cheret, a French artist, produced the 
first poster design, depicting Sarah Bernhardt in "La Biche 
au Bois." Cheret's posters thrilled Paris with their amazing 
colors — reds that were blazing, glowing yellows, blues that re- 
sembled Italian skies, greens, all harmonized into an attractive 
colored advertisement, which created most favorable atten- 
tion. Thus Cheret introduced a new field, adapting art to ad- 
vertising. Since then pictorial display has established for itself 
an important place amongst advertising mediums. It is in 
the United States that poster advertising has enjoyed its great- 
est development. 

Practically every distributor of motion pictures furnishes 



250 MOTION PICTURE THEATER MANAGEMENT 



posters for his feature pictures, consisting of heralds or circu- 
lars, window cards, one-sheets, three-sheets, six-sheets, and 
twenty- four-sheets, and other sales aids. A one-sheet is a 
lithograph 21x48 inches, and is generally printed in four or 
five colors. Three-, six- and twenty- four-sheets are multiples 
of a one-sheet, and are the standard sizes used in bill-post- 
ing. These posters are designed to sell the feature productions 
and principally illustrate in lithographic colors important scenes 
of the film. Many theaters use such posters in addition to 
newspaper advertising. The sizes and quantities used depend 
upon the population of the town or the city to be covered. The 
smaller sizes, such as window cards, heralds, and one-sheets, 
are distributed through a bill-poster, who is engaged at a 
weekly salary. The larger sheets are posted through the local 
bill-poster, who controls the billboard space. The value of bill- 
posting may best be illustrated through the fact that most 
large circus organizations depend upon it principally to sell 
their attractions. This accounts for the expression, "He cir- 
cused the picture" — meaning, he advertised the attraction as if 
it had been a circus. Bill-posting is particularly effective when 
a motion picture feature lends itself to striking picturization, 
as in "action" subjects. 

Exploitation is closely related to every branch of the 
line, and may be best termed "stunt" advertising. While 
attention-attracting, exploitation sometimes lends itself to 
criticism, when ideas of questionable taste are put into effect. 
On the other hand, exploitation has been the result of many 
worthwhile intensive campaigns. A motion picture may be 
based on an Oriental theme, and the exploiter conceives the 
idea of transforming the front and lobby of the theater to 
represent an Oriental bazaar, with quaint, Eastern music. The 
attendants and ushers are costumed accordingly, and the gen- 
eral atmosphere attracts much attention. Another example: 
A feature motion picture has for its principal motif an old- 
fashioned locomotive. In this instance the exploiter has built 
in front of his ticket window a compoboard or Upton-board 
semblance of a locomotive front (Figure 24). The tickets are 
sold through an opening in the boiler front. 



ADVERTISING 



251 



Of course such devices are not resorted to in theaters of the 
highest class. Such exploitation properly comes under the 
category of the "Ballyhoo" front. As an extreme of this 
idea, an enterprising exploiter caused a foreign-looking gen- 
tleman to register at an important hotel, accompanied by a large 
box which was brought up to his rooms with great difficulty. 
Afterwards, a lion emerged from the box into the hallways, 
causing considerable confusion, and resulting in much difficulty 
for the exploiter, because the authorities took a hand. The 
object of the exploiter was to secure large newspaper space 
in advertising an animal motion picture. It is well to note, 
however, that exploitation standards have reached a much 
higher level at the present time, and that most managements 
do not encourage stunts that are likely to be distasteful. 

Another unique idea of exploitation was employed in pre- 
senting a picture called "The Fire Brigade." In this instance 
the members of the orchestra were equipped with firemen's 
helmets, and a quartette clothed in regulation firemen's uni- 
forms was used as a presentation. Such a presentation would 
not do for the de luxe type of operation, but is likely to make 
an impression with a lesser grade of audience. To give an- 
other instance: A splendid example of fine exploitation was 
introduced in the original showing of "The Covered Wagon" 
in New York. About two weeks prior to the opening of this 
fine production, the exploiter caused to be published a series 
of newspaper ads, printed daily in the form of telegrams from 
him, in which his progress to New York with the print of "The 
Covered Wagon" was told, over the very trail on which the 
original covered wagon passed. (See Figure 25). 

Unusual electric signs also come under the department of 
exploitation. It is not exceptional to build a special electric 
sign for an attraction. For "The Covered Wagon" engage- 
ment in New York, there was erected a sign over sixty feet 
in height and one hundred feet in width, representing a cov- 
ered wagon fording a river. A battery of stereopticon machines 
projected a very realistic moving water on the lower portion of 
the sign. Even blase Broadway gaped at this sign. In addi- 
tion, a group of Indians camped in the grounds of Central 



252 MOTION PICTURE THEATER MANAGEMENT 



Park, and earned unusual newspaper stories. All of these 
ideas come from the exploiter. He is the "soldier of fortune" 
of publicity. 

Another form of exploitation is the use of the window dis- 
play space of the retail stores. Many stores are willing to ar- 
range a tie-up with theaters advertising an attraction for their 
mutual benefit. The right kind of a theater display attracts 
the attention of the people to the show window, and in that 
way both the retailer and the show benefit. The theater man- 
agers must strive to make such displays as they offer as effec- 
tive as possible. 

Miscellaneous. Under this heading may be grouped 
other forms of advertising which are used for business pro- 
motion. Direct mail advertising is of great value when a mail- 
ing list can reach a substantial part of the population. In 
large cities proper circulation by this method would be pro- 
hibitive because of the expense, but direct mail advertising is 
of value in neighborhood and small town theaters. At any 
rate, it cannot be overestimated. Well-written, interesting let- 
ters on coming attractions are really business producers. An- 
nouncement cards of programs are of value. There are in- 
numerable lists for circularizing — the blue book, the social 
register, the directories. Street-car advertising and other 
forms too numerous to mention all have their places in ad- 
vertising, depending upon local conditions. Where programs 
are used, the front cover offers a good opportunity to adver- 
tise coming features. Photographs of featured players are 
always of interest to the patron and serve to advertise the 
next attraction, besides making the program cover attractive 
when the art work is carefully executed. 

There is one form of advertising, which is within the reach 
of every theater and which should be used consistently — screen 
advertising ! The force of screen advertising should not be dis- 
counted. Here you reach directly the patrons you depend upon 
for support. Therefore, screen advertising is entitled to your 
very best effort. It is the most valuable medium at your dis- 
posal. Indeed, it is more potent and enduring than anything 
that could be obtained from another medium. It reaches the 



ADVERTISING 



255 



patrons of a theater in their seats, and while any other kind 
of advertising in a theater is objectionable, no patron objects 
to reading announcements in regard to coming attractions. 
Naturally, these should be prepared with the same care as a 
newspaper ad. Only the smallest theaters use slides. A serv- 
ice is available which supplies trailers on every feature re- 
leased by the distributing companies, for a nominal fee. 

To supplement all kinds of advertising there is nothing 
more effective than a good will campaign — which includes the 
writing of personal letters to hotel guests. The thrill of receiv- 
ing a letter of welcome when one is away from home warms 
the heart of any stranger. When many letters have to be sent, 
they can be prepared in quantity and made to look freshly type- 
written. A letter of congratulation to those celebrating an an- 
niversary or a birthday helps to make friends. There are many 
ways in which lists may be compiled for this purpose. Such 
letters will attract favorable attention if given a personal 
touch and if carefully prepared. They will develop interest 
and create confidence. 

In the opinion of the writer, the result of advertising and 
publicity, in the order of relative importance, comes from 

1. The pleased patron 

2. General repute (Good Will) 

3. Personal correspondence and contact 

4. Advertising 

THE ADVERTISING BUDGET 

Advertising should not be undertaken without a budget. 
The exact amount can be ascertained only through careful 
study of the actual conditions. After the budget figure is es- 
tablished, every effort should be made to secure the best pos- 
sible advertising value for every cent of the appropriation. In 
the operation of a large number of theaters, the writer believes 
that advertising appropriations may be determined to some 
extent in accordance with the gross business that a theater 
will reach. The following table is the average expenditure for 
all forms of advertising. 



256 MOTION PICTURE THEATER MANAGEMENT 



Ratio for 

Gross Business Advertising 
Up to $ 5,000.00 10% 

6,000.00 sy 2 % 

7,000.00 7^2% 

8,000.00 6y 2 % 

9,000.00 6% 

10,000.00 5 J /2% 

11,000.00 5% 

12,000.00 5% 

13,000.00 5% 

14,000.00 A^AJo 



conclusion 

In the preceding chapters the writer has attempted to show 
that a theater is a place of entertainment operated for profit, 
which end is accomplished by operation under the control of 
the management. Since the pleased patron is the best medium 
of publicity, it stands to reason that the theater which adver- 
tises itself is the best advertised. In addition to suitable lo- 
cation, structure, equipment and financing, theaters must have 
well-coordinated, properly controlled personnel. All of the 
above has been brought down to a science. Because of this, 
it is important for the leader to realize that there is an art in 
theater operation. Those who are interested in the finer opera- 
tion of theaters will realize that efficiency in management is 
intended to complement rather than to be considered as a sub- 
stitute for the fine art of hospitality. What better publicity 
than good will? 

There is accorded to every theater manager the opportunity 
to add to the comfort and happiness of those who are enter- 
tained in his house. He is given the chance to encourage in 
the general public good taste and appreciation for the better 
things in entertainment. It is the purpose of sound, progres- 
sive management to clothe the commercial aspect of the the- 
ater with a perfection of service, and to embellish it with pleas- 
ant details and refinement. Management should use scientific 
organization and knowledge of methods which will operate the 
business at a profit. This should be done without prejudicing, 



ADVERTISING 



257 



but to enrich, the fundamental idea of "service," and it is essen- 
tial for the theater manager to promote in every possible way 
the art of his profession. 

Management should encourage ability that does the little 
things better than they have been done before; should exem- 
plify good taste and emulate the finest hospitality of the best 
home; should create new comforts and new refinements — 
in a word, preserve and enhance the best traditions and prac- 
tices of all that is fine in the theater. 

It is strictly good business to operate theaters efficiently, but 
management must not overlook the necessity of genuine hos- 
pitality and true graciousness. These are the drawing cards, 
after all. 



CHAPTER XXVI 



The Show Window of the Theater 

THE appearance of the faqade, as well as of the lobby 
of a motion picture theater, is of outstanding im- 
portance, and I am therefore devoting a chapter to 
its proper discussion. It is where the prospective patron re- 
ceives first impressions, and may properly be termed the 
"Show Window" of the theater. The design of the facade, 
the arrangement, the lighting, the posters, the decorations, 
are all important factors which determine in a great measure 
the spirit of the theater. The entrance, or face of the build- 
ing, should be of distinctive architecture, so that it may stand 
apart from surrounding structures; and the architect must 
endeavor to create the design so that it immediately suggests 
' 'Theater." A splendid example of what is meant is ex- 
pressed by the facade of the recently completed Ziegfeld 
Theatre in New York which, while not a motion picture the- 
ater, serves as an illustration (Figure 26). Here the archi- 
tect has suggested the foyer of a theater through the rounded 
fagade, framed in by a design suggested by a proscenium 
arch. Other examples are expressed by the Paramount the- 
aters in New York, Grauman's Chinese Theatre in Hollywood 
and the Uptown Theatre in Chicago. (Figure 27.) 

Most theater entrances are sheltered by a hanging marquise 
(canopy) supported from the face of the building by either 
chains or rods. This serves as a valuable advertising aid, 
and also as a protection for the patron against the sun and 
inclement weather. The sides and front of the marquise 
provide a splendid support for signs, where the name of the 
theater is placed, together with changeable attraction signs, 
which are set in with each alteration of program. These signs 
have letters of white glass, are illuminated from the back, 

258 



THE SHOW WINDOW OF THE THEATER 259 



or else employ exposed bulb letters, the precise form being a 
matter of choice. The borders of the signs are usually 
equipped with running, flashing, or twinkling lines, the move- 
ment of which attracts the attention of the passer-by. The sim- 
plest border arrangement is accomplished through the use of a 
single row of lamps. When the number of rows is increased, a 
more impressive effect may be obtained. Large upright signs 
anchored alongside the building, above the marquise, announce 
the name of the theater, framed in an action or chaser border. 
Since the object of such signs is to attract as much atten- 
tion as possible, the larger the letters, the better. Simplicity 
in design of all electric signs is generally more effective than 
complexity. 

The ceiling of the marquise should be studded with elec- 
tric lights, laid out in rows or squares. Every effort should 
be made to secure a brilliant aspect, since light serves to at- 
tract, and the public likes brilliant street illumination. 

The wattage of lamps to be used in electric signs depends on 
the section where the theater is located. The following watt- 
ages are suggested for average conditions : 

Very bright districts in large cities 25 watt 

Medium bright districts 15 watt 

Residential districts 10 watt 

Colored lighting may be obtained through the use of sprayed 
lamps, or color caps, which fit snugly over the lamps. 

Where sufficient space is available on the marquise change- 
able sign, every effort should be made to sell the attraction 
through fetching headlines and messages that are eye-arrest- 
ing and descriptive of the program that is offered. The light- 
ing on the marquise may also be used with telling effect for 
appropriate holiday decoration. The use of red and green 
bulbs for Christmas, and suitable colors for other holidays, 
will help to give a theater a timely and appropriate touch. 

Indirect lighting, as well as flood lighting, may be used to 
good advantage in illuminating individual architectural fea- 
tures, or the building itself. This type of illumination is still 



260 MOTION PICTURE THEATER MANAGEMENT 



in its infancy, but is a marked improvement over the old-fash- 
ioned rows of exposed bulb stud lights, which were so preva- 
lent in the earlier types of motion picture theater buildings. 

Of great importance is the entrance itself. Here the archi- 
tect and the management must combine business requirements 
with effective design. Provision must be made for suitable 
frames for announcement posters, for sufficient passageway 
as required by the building code, for the requirements of the 
insurance underwriters, and for an adequate box office. Al- 
though very few features of the old type of motion picture 
theater are now a part of the modern house, the practice of 
placing the box office on the building line in the center of 
the entrance, facing the sidewalk, still prevails. This is con- 
venient to the prospective patron, and the box office so lo- 
cated acts in a measure as a silent salesman. It has a tend- 
ency to invite the hesitant patron, enhanced in no small meas- 
ure through the inviting personality of the cashier. Here the 
necessity of having pleasant and cheerful personalities in the 
box office is clearly brought out. It is perhaps unnecessary 
to point out that the box office must be attractive, clean, and 
well lighted; and the statement is repeated here only for the 
sake of emphasis. 

The interior of the box office should be immaculate. Only 
such objects are admitted as are necessary in selling tickets. 
A vase, either on the cashier's shelf or hung in view of the 
purchaser is a pleasant and refining touch. Machines which 
sell tickets automatically are preferable to sale by hand, and 
coin change machines are of value where big business is the 
rule. The box office should be roomy, with two openings, 
so two cashiers may sell tickets at one time. This is not only 
a convenience for patrons, but also a means of additional 
revenue. The more quickly patrons are admitted, the greater 
the turn-over. In very large theaters, facilities should be pro- 
vided for additional box offices in the vestibule lobby. There 
should be a definite rule that no one shall be admitted within 
the box office besides the cashiers, except the official charged 
with checking the cash and the tickets. The scale of admission 
prices should always be hung in full view of the patron, at 



THE SHOW WINDOW OF THE THEATER 261 

the window. The hours the theater is open should also be 
placed in a conspicuous place. 

The frames in which the announcements are displayed, may 
be of material value as business getters when they are prop- 
erly utilized. Here we really have the show windows of the 
theater, and if displays are attractive and original, they cor- 
respond with the appeal of show windows in a fine department 
store. Just as the retail stores employ experts to create un- 
usual and attention-attracting displays, expert attention should 
be given in preparing the material and the copy that an- 
nounce the program. The same care must be taken in lay- 
ing out the design of announcement posters as in planning 
the most extensive newspaper campaign. (Figure 28.) 

Frames should be provided on either side of the entrance and 
should be designed by the architect so that they may be in 
harmony with the rest of the building. Where conditions 
permit, additional frames should be placed on the set back 
into the vestibule on either side. Such frames are generally 
28" by 42" on the inside, and when possible, should be at least 
six inches in depth, with installation within the frame of a 
three-color indirect lighting system, wired so that any of the 
three colors may be used separately. The frame should be 
covered by a plate glass door so that change of announce- 
ments may be made readily. The advantage of a three-color 
lighting system is that there may thus be secured a flexible 
arrangement, which will make possible unusual and attractive 
illumination. In addition, at times the color used may be in 
keeping with the atmosphere of the attraction. The adver- 
tising of a romantic drama may suggest a moonlight effect 
which may be procured through the proper blending of such 
a lighting scheme. This same idea may be developed even to 
a more effective result by the use of dimmers operated by 
motors, through which a continuous and gradual change of 
color illumination may be secured. 

Where theaters have vestibule arrangements that make pos- 
sible the installation of more and larger frames than those 
described herein, every advantage should be taken of such an 
opportunity. Each additional frame offers an additional op- 



262 MOTION PICTURE THEATER MANAGEMENT 



portunity for the exploitation of the program, provided the 
material and the copy have sales value. The frames must, 
however, blend harmoniously with the decorations, and must 
not appear crowded. Where it is possible, one frame should 
be devoted to a program timetable, consisting of the full pro- 
gram, noting all the units, together with the scheduled time 
of showing. There should also be provided at least two frames 
within the lobby or foyer for announcements relative to com- 
ing attractions, but such frames should be marked clearly, 
"Coming attractions," or "Next week," so that they may not 
be confused with the display of the current attraction, which 
at all times must of course dominate the advertising display. 

The higher type of theater maintains either its own sign 
department, where announcements are designed and prepared 
for frames, or else contracts with local sign painters for such 
service. These announcements generally are painted posters, 
with scenes of the feature attraction, or perhaps a likeness of 
the featured players, together with the copy pertaining to the 
attraction lettered in. The writer has found that such posters 
are effective and are in harmony with the atmosphere of a fine 
theater when the art work is of the highest caliber. Such 
posters may prove even of greater value when spaces are pro- 
vided for actual photographs which may be inserted behind 
the poster, within openings cut out to frame the picture. 

Photographs, or stills, are furnished on every feature at- 
traction, through the film exchanges where pictures are rented. 
Such photographs are generally obtainable in four different 
types and sizes. 

In addition, there are photographs that go by the name of 
"Squeeges" (glossy prints) and are used principally for news- 
paper work. 

All of these may be used to splendid advantage in the 
preparation of lobby advertising. Some of them are tinted 
by a special color process, or come in attractive photographic 
tones. 

Where good art work is not obtainable, or where the ex- 
pense may prove prohibitive, acceptable results may be ob- 
tained by providing mats covered with brocade, silk, velour, 



FIGURE 26 

Ziegfeld Theater 




FIGURE 27 

Paramount, Grauman's Chinese and Uptown Theater 




FIGURE 28 

Specimen Posters 



FIGURE 29 

Profile Poster 





FIGURE 30 

Decorative Lobby, "the ten commandments" 




FIGURE 31 

Roxy Theater Lobby 



FIGURE 32 

Lobby, Uptown Theater, Chicago 




FIGURE 33-A 

Seat Indicator 



THE SHOW WINDOW OF THE THEATER 263 



or other handsome materials, which fit into the frames, and 
have openings for photographs of the various sizes described 
above. Three or four sets of such mats, each of different 
color or material, would make possible a change each week, 
and keep frames looking fresh and attractive. 

Materials and colors may be selected which suggest the 
spirit of the principal feature of the program. During the 
Christmas season, the mats may be covered with red velour, 
with perhaps a touch of holly in a corner, contributing a 
holiday touch to the display. In the same way, green velour, 
with a few artificial lilies would be a seasonable Easter sug- 
gestion. Patriotic holidays may be signified with red, white, 
and blue backgrounds of velour. Other holidays may be sug- 
gested along similar lines. Motion picture titles or motifs 
may sometimes be suggested through color. When the mo- 
tion picture "Grass'' was shown, the use of green was a tell* 
ing background. A story based on the Napoleonic period 
may be suggested through the use of purple. The age of 
Louis XIV brings to mind perhaps a brocade of that period's 
design. 

Ingenious and attractive effects have been attained by lobby 
display artists through the use of cutouts, representing scenery, 
enriched in effect by colored lighting. A stage scene is vir- 
tually reproduced in miniature and is fitted into the frame. 
This may represent a mountain range, as the advertising 
motif for a western picture ; or a castle for a romantic drama. 
The scene is cut out in profile and set pieces are placed fur- 
ther back, giving the impression of distance which, together 
with the lighting, serves as an unusual and attractive back- 
ing for a telling ad. Showmanship of this kind helps to 
make frame displays more significant and interesting. (Fig- 
ure 29.) 

In "long run" theaters, where motion pictures of such un- 
usual merit are shown that they play in a single legitimate 
theater for an extended run, special effort and study should be 
given to the layout of an elaborate and extensive frame dis- 
play, which is of value in the proper exploitation of the attrac- 
tions. Such theaters generally have a large lobby and ample 



264* MOTION PICTURE THEATER MANAGEMENT 



space to allow for an extensive frame arrangement, which 
varies in accordance with the value of the attraction that is 
to be exploited, or with the space which is available. In ex- 
tensive campaigns, sometimes the frames themselves are spe- 
cially designed for the occasion. In the instance of the mo- 
tion picture, "The Ten Commandments," the frames were 
decorated with Egyptian symbols and the posters were of an 
elaborate character. Mural posters were installed in the lobby 
itself, while the lobby was redecorated and provided with 
special lighting, in order to suggest the atmosphere of the pic- 
ture (Figure 30). This is but one example of the possibilities 
of means by which lobby exploitation may be employed. 

Lobby displays are an important advertising factor in the 
exploitation of sensational and action pictures which are shown 
in the cheaper grade of theaters. In these instances lobby dis- 
plays are designed to emphasize the big appeal of a particular 
type of story. There is no end to the exploitation methods 
which may be used in connection with such action pictures. 
They are unique to the extent that such lobby displays are sel- 
dom used for more than a week. Therefore the cost must 
necessarily be limited. 

The lobby, as a mere thoroughfare as used in the theater 
of yesterday, is now passe! In the modern motion picture 
theater the lobby has been replaced by two or three handsome 
rooms or halls. These foyers have taken on a new signifi- 
cance, and much attention is now being lavished on them by 
architect and owner, to make them both attractive and im- 
posing. In the Paramount Theatre, New York, there are 
actually three lobbies. The first room is a vestibule lobby 
four stories in height and is known as the Rotunda, the second 
is a spacious room, a foyer which is known as the Hall of 
the Nations because of its decorative features ; and then there 
is the Grand Hall, a room of stately proportions, almost six 
stories in height, with a marble colonnade over one hundred 
and twenty-five feet in length. The Roxy Theatre in New 
York has two lobbies, and the oval one is in many respects 
the most attractive feature of that splendid theater. (Figure 
31.) That the contemporary tendency is in this direction in 



THE SHOW WINDOW OF THE THEATER 265 



the building not only of motion picture theaters, but also of 
other fine theaters is borne out in the E. F. Albee Theatre, 
Brooklyn, N. Y., where the Grand Lobby is an imposing 
Salon, in which is housed a magnificent collection of fine art 
objects and paintings. The Balaban & Katz theaters in Chi- 
cago all offer further splendid examples of the importance of 
fine lobbies. (Figure 32.) 

No advertising matter should be permitted within the lob- 
bies, except in the vestibule lobby; and even here advertising 
should not be permitted to dominate, but should be limited 
to such frames as may fit harmoniously into the design. It 
is an advantage to install a small illuminated changeable sign 
in this room so that it faces patrons as they leave for the 
street. This sign is to be used to announce the next oncom- 
ing attractions. 

Amplifying has been perfected to such an extent that some 
theaters have found it profitable to install amplifying appa- 
ratus, which reproduces the music of the orchestra or organ 
playing in the theater, into the lobby, so as to entertain those 
who may be waiting in the lobby. 

A practical innovation which is of value in controlling the 
crowds in the lobby, and which also helps to get the patrons 
seated, is the Usher Signal System. (Figures 33 A and B.) 
This system consists of a sending station located in each aisle 
of the theater. It is operated by the usher there, and flashes 
the number of vacant seats by indicating lamps equipped with 
numerals at receiving stations, which are located at central 
points on each floor level, under the surveillance of a floor 
captain. The receiving stations are in turn connected with 
a central station located in the lobby, where such informa- 
tion is relayed to the chief usher, who flashes the total of 
all aisles and sections to the doorman. The last then directs 
the people to the different sections of the theater where vacant 
seats are available. A telephone system is part of this equip- 
ment, and maintains additional contact among the various 
stations. 

The lighting equipment of the lobby should naturally be in 
keeping with the general spirit and atmosphere of the decora- 



266 MOTION PICTURE THEATER MANAGEMENT 



tions. Proper lighting is a problem which must be worked 
out by architect and engineer, guided by business requirements. 
Since the entrance of the theater is brilliantly lighted, the 
lobby must be fairly well illuminated. Otherwise it will ap- 
pear dull by contrast. A good rule to follow in theater ilium- 



's R u con y 



'13 Seats Available 
Jo the &aiecrf. ' 



Mezzaninl 



A i s 


Li 


*1 MiLE* 


Z 


5 




10 










L 


— Im 



2.6 



Seats Available 
the Mezzanine. " 



OR.CH L $ T R. A* 



AislL*4. AisLt*5 Aiitt 4 fe 



s 16 




8 




20 




11 




10 




8 



O R.CVi t ST 
CAHAIN 

75 



Chief 


<J$HE.>L 




TPL» 75 


b»ltoHT 13 





ttT I 

114 



Diaqham Showing R.elay Plan of UsSer 5icnal oystem 



FIGURE 33-B 

ination is a gradual reduction of lighting from the entrance 
through to the auditorium. 

No one who has had the good fortune to visit the entrance 
halls of the de luxe theaters in the great cities need be lectured 
as to the effect The patrons themselves are quick to express 
their admiration — nay, even their awe — at the realization of 
beauty and splendor in materials and combinations that stir 
every esthetic response. There is something magical in the 



THE SHOW WINDOW OF THE THEATER 267 



lavish grandeur of great rooms that are like the majestic ges- 
tures of open-handed generosity on the part of a new industry, 
jubilantly powerful and opulent. Men and women, out for 
pleasure, succumb with glad exclamations to the enchantment 
of wealth and art. They are caught up and drawn along to 
joy in the spell of the wizard's wand. The forget fulness they 
seek is no longer a negative solace, but becomes a living glad- 
ness, which later flowers in the memory when life's tedium 
again cries for relief. 

Not every lobby, perhaps, can be so gorgeous ; but it should 
at least be distinctive and alluring, in the sense that it contains 
a certain something not elsewhere to be found by the patron. 



CHAPTER XXVII 



Color and Lighting 

THE object of this chapter is to convey to the reader 
the importance of color and its application in the 
operation of theaters in relation to illumination, deco- 
rative effects, and advertising. Theater lighting itself has been 
developed to a wide degree, and has indeed kept pace with the 
progress of motion picture operation. Stage lighting, of 
course, is similar in type to that used in the so-called legiti- 
mate theater, but auditorium lighting has progressed greatly 
and received its strongest impetus in the development of the 
cinema house. This influence, however, must be traced also to 
the legitimate field. 

The first color lighting in an auditorium with which the 
writer came in contact was introduced at the old Belasco 
Theatre, now the Republic, in New York, back in 1906. Mr. 
David Belasco employed auditorium lighting of amber, which 
was dimmed gradually into darkness just before the curtain 
was raised. This ingenious scheme made a marked impres- 
sion. To make a long story short, the motion picture theater 
adopted that lighting plan, and gradually three, and then four, 
colors were added to its auditorium equipment. 

The effective use of light in the theater is of great value 
when its possibilities are carefully studied. It may be em- 
ployed to make a theater more attractive, as well as more 
beautiful. The fixtures should therefore be designed to be in 
perfect harmony with the architecture. Good theater archi- 
tects, as a matter of fact, realize that proper lighting is of 
utmost importance, not only to insure comfort for patrons, but 
to add to the attractiveness of the structure. 

Foyers and lobbies should as a rule be lighted brilliantly. 

268 



COLOR AND LIGHTING 



269 



The electrical engineer should, however, lay out a lighting 
plan that will show a graduation in illumination from the first 
lobby to the dimly clarified auditorium. In considering the 
proper illumination of theater auditoriums, the decorative effect 
must be considered in laying out the plant. It is always im- 
portant that all bare and excessively bright light sources be en- 
tirely concealed from the audience. Softly diffused and rest- 
ful illumination is the more desirable form. 

Color in lighting is of great importance, both on the stage 
and in the front of the house. The proper use of tint helps 
to put patrons into moods sympathetic with the action on the 
stage or screen. Light may be used by the master electrician 
as music by the composer, and he can render color harmonies 
as if they were woven into a musical symphony. That there 
is a psychological effect produced by certain colors has been 
established by illumination engineers. The color and lighting 
of a room help to create its atmosphere. Now, no single color 
can produce the most satisfactory result, any more than one 
note can produce melody in music. It is the combination of 
shades and their variations which produce a harmonious effect. 

Warm colors are red, rose, cream, yellow and buff. The 
cool colors are blue, gray, green, and their contributory mix- 
tures. Slight tints of rose (flesh color) and yellow (canary) 
in lighting add something to the complexion, and therefore 
are desirable for ladies' rest rooms, lounge rooms, etc. Amber 
is used extensively in auditorium lighting. Contrast, an ex- 
cellent variant in any art, may be achieved through the use 
of harmonious colors in theater lighting. Many artistic effects 
can be obtained by the incidental use of colored lights ; a slight 
rose or orange tint in the ray is very pleasing and attractive. 

In lighting the auditorium, indirect illumination makes pos- 
sible some exceptional effects, and much of theater work in 
this field in the future will be brought about from sources 
entirely concealed, without resorting to the use of hanging 
ceiling fixtures. Many interiors lend themselves to this kind 
of treatment, which can be worked into the decorative scheme. 
All lamps and reflectors are entirely hidden from view, yet the 
room or auditorium can be flooded with clear, comfortable 



270 MOTION PICTURE THEATER MANAGEMENT 



illumination, together with novel, pleasant effects. The lamps 
are concealed in projecting cornices and coves, which are re- 
cessed to hide the bulbs from view. 

When indirect lighting is used, there are two general meth- 
ods which may be adapted : one from hanging bowls, which 
are used in small theaters ; and the other from a cove or cor- 
nice, or from projecting wall urns or special boxes. It is 
important to provide a means of dim lighting for use while 
motion pictures are being shown, to enable patrons to find 
seats easily and to move about with a minimum of noise and 
confusion. It helps also to give a cheerful atmosphere. This is 
arranged by using two or more circuits, so that the auditorium 
may be flooded with light, or may be lighted with a dim soft 
glow, ample for every purpose, but not interfering with the 
clearness of the pictures on the screen. Hanging fixtures in 
keeping with the architectural period may be used in audi- 
toriums, supplemental to indirect lighting, with splendid effect. 
The particular advantage of indirect lighting in the ceiling is 
the elimination of obstructions to projection or vision. 

Color lighting effects are frequently employed in the audi- 
torium, and the device is particularly good when it is intro- 
duced through indirect sources, which help to diffuse the colors. 
The tints are operated on a dimmer system, making possible 
many combinations and gradations. 

A real development in exterior illumination is what is known 
as "Flood Lighting," which may be used to advantage in dis- 
playing exteriors of theater buildings, particularly when the 
architectural treatment lends itself to such a purpose. To flood 
the entire surface of the building uniformly, so that the detail 
of design will be brought out, the lighting usually must be 
done from a distance. The units used for this purpose must 
be placed on the roofs of buildings opposite. Another more or 
less general method is that of locating the projecting units upon 
the building itself. In either case the flood lighting of the 
building requires careful planning by a lighting engineer. 

The lighting of the Paramount Building is entirely accom- 
plished by X-ray reflectors, with 250 Watt Flood Lighting 
lamps, mounted on the set-backs at the various elevations. The 



COLOR AND LIGHTING 



271 



entire building from the eighteenth to the thirty-fifth story is 
bathed in a glow from concealed sources, and is visible for a 
great distance up and down Broadway. 

The science of color lighting has been developed to a high 
degree in stage work. Through the use of red, green, and 
blue, any desired effect can be produced, providing these pri- 
mary bases are pure. 

The use of colors and effects points to unusual possibilities 
in the application of the science of the subject. Stage scen- 
ery will be revolutionized through lighting effects that may 
be developed. Scenes can be made to disappear by the use of 
color relating to the scenery painted. To illustrate : A blue 
square has been painted on a white drop. By throwing a blue 
light of the same hue and character as the blue square on the 
drop, the square will disappear and the drop becomes blue. 
This principle can be applied to scenes of every description. 
A mountain can be made to disappear by changing the color 
of the light to one that will render it invisible. A summer 
scene may be merged into a snowy winter scene. By paint- 
ing the body and branches of the trees a gray, and covering 
these and the ground with a bluish-green foliage, they appear 
in their summer dress, under ordinary light. By changing the 
color to a blue-green, "cold" in relation to the blue-green of the 
scene, the summer foliage disappears from the trees and 
ground, and the barren trees and snow-covered ground appear. 
One readily sees what beautiful and unusual effects can be 
obtained. Careful study and experimentation are needed, na- 
turally, to make sure of the result. 

The problem of stage lighting is simple because of the 
splendid control that is made possible by the modern theater 
switchboard, with its remote control switches and dimmers. 

A great many people sitting in a theater often remark on 
the beautiful lighting effects they witness but never know, or 
even think, of the time spent and the magnitude of the appa- 
ratus used in obtaining this important part of the show, for 
surely it is an important part that lighting plays to-day in the 
theater. 

The diagram shown in Figure 6 shows how the stage board 



272 MOTION PICTURE THEATER MANAGEMENT 



operates and controls all the lighting changes you see while at 
a performance. 

Due to the size of the theater stage boards, they are now 
being made more and more so that the electrician never sees 
the switch that actually turns on the lights but stands in front 
of a pilot board with hundreds of little switches and signal 
lights which tell him what is going on. 

When the electrician wants to prepare the lighting effects 
he turns on one of the small selector switches mounted at the 
top of the pilot units. This he can do for 10 different scenes 
on any one particular fixture and by combinations of these 
different switches vary the lighting in hundreds of different 
ways. 

After the lighting is all arranged the electrician stands at 
the center of the board and on a signal, by operating one of 
the "All Master" switches, turns on the lighting for the scenes 
which you are watching. It is possible by the operation of 
these 10 switches to control the lighting of the entire perform- 
ance. The dimming and brightening of the lamps, which for 
the most part are placed so that you only see the reflected 
light, are controlled by the handles which protrude through 
the front of the pilot units. These are arranged in three 
rows of corresponding color — the white or amber, red and 
blue. It is the combining of these colors that requires artistic 
sense, skill and long experience by the men who plan these 
spectacles in connection with equipment which is so built to 
make possible the pleasing results that these men obtain. 

To go back, the electrician after operating the All Master 
switch, turns a wheel which is mounted immediately under 
these switches and through a system of levers it is possible 
to make some of the lights bright and some dim or again com- 
bine them, and to do this at any speed desired. 

By the operation of the All Master switch the electricity 
flows through the pilot board to all the selector switches; if 
these are turned on then the current goes down to the remote 
control switch which is located in the basement. This switch 
then automatically closes, turning on the light which is gradu- 
ated by the dimmers so that the desired results are obtained. 



COLOR AND LIGHTING 



273 



It is possible for this board to be operated from a distance 
point such as orchestra leader, the head usher at the back of 
the auditorium or even the box office if wanted, by placing the 
extended control switch at that point. 

An up-to-date stage is equipped with footlights and three 
or four sets of border lights. Each set is generally wired for 
four colors — white, red, green, and blue. Many stages are 
equipped with a "light" bridge and platforms from which elec- 
tricians focus and control spot lamps, flood lamps, etc. Side 
lighting is thrown from towers and platforms and includes 
flood lamps, spot lamps and olivettes. 

Color may be used to good advantage in conjunction with 
music during the playing of overtures, solos, and special stage 
numbers. Experts and psychologists have given much study 
to colors as relating to music. Few authorities are able to sub- 
stantiate definitely the true relation of color and music on the 
senses, but through actual tests, color has been made to blend 
with music, with soothing and satisfactory results. In refer- 
ring to color music, the writer does not intend to convey to the 
reader that color has any analogy to music, but merely that it 
is a means of producing an effect pleasing to the eye. Melody 
can be rendered more effectively when accompanied by the play- 
ing of lights of different hues. These tints are usually thrown 
from spot and flood lamps from openings in the sounding 
board, or from spot lamps from the front of the balcony. 
These give forth three or four different shades and are set 
to cover the orchestra pit. They are controlled at the stage 
switchboard on dimmers. Some very pleasing results can be 
obtained from the casting of blending colors over the musi- 
cians. 

The colors used must not be distracting, but must be sooth- 
ing to the eye, and should attempt to picture the mood of 
the music. Beethoven's "Sonata" suggests blue lighting with 
a shimmer of moonlight from the side. "Tales of Hoffman" 
may be made effective by a flood of blue lighting, with side 
lighting of rosy orange. "The Dance of the Hours" gives an 
opportunity for a study which may begin with a daybreak 
effect brought about by a steel blue gradually dimming into 



274 MOTION PICTURE THEATER MANAGEMENT 



amber, catching on the hue of sunset through orange-crim- 
son lighting, and finally into a blue-green night. While these 
colors are thrown on, the side lighting consists of each succeed- 
ing color, giving a contrast and yet a harmonious arrange- 
ment. To illustrate: For daybreak, the steel blue front light- 
ing is dimmed up. Then slowly the succeeding color (amber) 
is uncovered from the side. Then the amber is thrown in from 
the front. When the ambers are full up, the succeeding color 
(orange-crimson) is brought in from the side; and the pro- 
cedure is continued in this way until all the colors mentioned 
have been played. 

Not all music lends itself as described above ; but with study 
and experimentation, good results may be obtained with most 
compositions. Color has emotional value which can fit melodic 
moods. Brightness in music may be expressed as readily as 
plaintive motifs. Of course, there is no authoritative code as 
to which colors express which moods ; the selection can only be 
that of individual interpretation. In providing "atmosphere' ' 
for a particular motif, blue-green for falling water, and red 
for fire offer possible suggestions. Bright light can be used 
to stimulate applause and frequently is thrown on at the climax 
of the overture. Likewise, brilliancy is often used to help 
put over comedy scenes. Comedy cannot register when an 
auditorium is in a quiet mood suggested by soft vagueness. 
It needs sharp lines. In the search for harmony of melody 
and lighting, flat color can also be used to provide atmosphere. 
The use of reflective curtains back of the orchestra, draped 
in loose folds, is of some advantage. 

It is of interest to note the legibility of color used in ad- 
vertisements. The proper contrasts can be of material aid in 
attracting attention. It is an established fact that the most 
legible combination is black on a yellow background. The 
next best combination is green on white, and so on as noted 
below : 

Red on white 
Blue on white 
White on blue 
Black on white 



COLOR AND LIGHTING 



275 



Yellow on black 
White on red 
White on green 
White on black 
Red on yellow 
Green on red 
Red on green 

These combinations are noted in the order of their importance 
after scientific tests. The colors have been used in actual 
practice and have been matched and tested in the laboratory. 

Colored lighting may also be used effectively for advertising 
displays. Lamps operating on flashers can help to make frames 
and signs attractive and unusual. Through such an arrange- 
ment, moonlight, daylight, and sunset effects may be produced 
with effectiveness. Colored bulbs chasing each other in waves 
around the border of a sign represent a very simple applica- 
tion of colored light in adding movement to the legend dis- 
played. Electric signs with stereopticon stage effects likewise 
attract unusual attention. The writer applied this principle in 
the design for an electric sign for "The Covered Wagon." 
(Page 239.) A huge covered wagon apparently fording a 
river was painted on a steel background, with the words "The 
Covered Wagon" on the upper part of the prairie schooner 
studded with electric lights. At night, six synchronized stere- 
opticon water effects were thrown on the water with most 
amazing realism. 

The possibility of the use of color and light applying to ad- 
vertising displays and stage effects has barely been scratched. 
Electrically excited gases, such as carbon dioxide, neon, helium 
and mercury vapor contained in glass tubes, offer possibilities 
which have not yet been applied to the fullest advantage for 
elaborate effects. 

In printing, or in mixing of pigments, yellow, red, and blue 
are the three colors that will produce the greatest range of color 
when properly mixed. In poster printing, five colors are the 
basis from which every shade and tint may be derived. These 
are yellow, red, purple, blue and green. Perhaps a brief out- 



276 MOTION PICTURE THEATER MANAGEMENT 



line of other colored media, and the means of manipulating 
them, will be of some value: 

Colored glasses, secured from supply houses, afford a num- 
ber of fairly pure tints, usually red, yellow, green and purple. 
Such glasses generally are used for signals. 

Colored gelatines. Almost any color or tint can be obtained 
from theatrical supply houses. These may be used for spot 
lamps and flood lights, and are mounted between sheets of 
glass supported in frames which will fit the lamp openings. 

Aniline dyes. Such dyes are usually pure and fairly repro- 
duceable. Sets of dyes in various colors may be obtained for 
lantern slides. The same stains are also used in the painting 
of scenery which is meant to be folded and used extensively 
in traveling. 

Colored lacquers are used for tinting electric lamps. 

Artists' pigments. Such pigments are classed as pastel, 
water colors, and oil paints. All of these may be used in color 
work of different descriptions. 

Colored papers of tissue are of value in experimental color 
studies. 

Phosphorescent materials. Luminous calcium sulphide, 
sometimes known as Bolmain's paint, is cheap, and emits phos- 
phorescent light of fairly long duration, when a strong light 
is thrown on it before its use. This substance has been em- 
ployed for scenic effects and costumes. Phosphorescent oil 
paints can be made by using pure linseed oil instead of the 
varnish ordinarily utilized. 

The air brush is a useful instrument for the application of 
liquid colorings of all description and can be applied with a 
fair degree of uniformity. It is a mechanism for blowing pig- 
ment onto surfaces, instead of rubbing or spreading it on ; and 
in some situations is of considerable value for many reasons. 

CONCLUSION 

Some years ago an inventive genius rented one of the large 
concert rooms in New York and offered the public a program 
of "symphonies" in light rather than sound. Roughly, the 
effect produced was that of a kaleidoscopic pattern projected on 



COLOR AND LIGHTING 



277 



a screen, with swift changing and merging of combinations. 
The thing attracted wide interest. For a while we seemed wit- 
nesses at the birth of a new art; yet there were many skeptics. 
At present both opinions seem justified in part; for although 
colored lighting has not attained individuality in the same sense 
as music and literature, it has surely developed into one of the 
handmaidens of beauty. This is true not merely in the theater, 
but also in a place much influenced by the theater — the home. 
Tinted bulbs are gaining widely in popularity in dwelling 
rooms, and are there used to provide color contrast independ- 
ently of furnishings or draperies. Thus once again does a 
new science link hands with art to lay tribute on the altars of 
loveliness. 

The reader will perhaps have noted that these three chapters 
on advertising, the lobby, and lighting are devoted to the tech- 
nique of inducing the public to patronage, and he will likewise 
have noted to what degree the specialist assists operation in 
drawing the crowd. He broadcasts its existence, makes clear 
and beautiful its exterior and its entrance. He charms the 
senses even before the camera hypnotizes them. 

Now — on with the show! 



CHAPTER XXVIII 



Music 

SUPERFICIAL highbrows to the contrary notwithstand- 
ing, there has been a slow but sure and steady expansion 
of cultural standards throughout the United States 
within the memory of the present generation. The increased 
demand and output of books and periodicals of every sort are 
two well-known signs of the movement. But it is in the grow- 
ing interest in and request for the finest type of music that 
the average American is indicating the evolution most signifi- 
cantly. Folk and other songs, of course, have always enjoyed 
great popularity. I refer, however, to the operatic and sym- 
phonic masterpieces, which are gradually becoming by-words 
in more and more American homes. 

Undoubtedly, the talking machine played a part in the 
phenomenon, but I feel sure that our own industry has been 
the influential factor. When a man goes into a store to buy 
records, he probably chooses along the lines of custom; but 
when he sits in a theater he has the opportunity of introduc- 
tion to something different. Quite often, too, this is something 
better. From the printed program he becomes acquainted for 
the first time, perhaps, with such golden names as Beethoven, 
Wagner, Verdi, and Massenet. And from the audible rendi- 
tion he finds to his immense delight that the creations of these 
geniuses are finer than any strains he has ever heard — and that 
he is capable of understanding and enjoying them ! His pleas- 
ure and his knowledge redouble as his inferiority gives way. 

Moreover, the music comes to his ears accompanied by other 
lovely sensations of comfort, good lighting, and last, but not 
least, the picture romance of the screen. Art as well as man is 
known by the company it keeps ; and the patron leaves the per- 
formance, among other things, a music lover. 

278 



MUSIC 



279 



The motion picture theater, I repeat, has probably been the 
greatest single force in bringing good music to the greatest 
number of persons. This possibility was recognized by George 
Eastman, who, when he established the Eastman School of 
Music, found it essential to his plans to create educated audi- 
ences, and settled upon the motion picture as the means of con- 
veying symphonic art to the masses. There are many theaters 
in the United States which spend in excess of $200,000 a year 
for musicians' salaries. In this connection, harmony is given 
fullest expression when interpreting the scale of emotion that 
is dominant in the showing of a fine motion picture. Just as 
a film is best when the action is easily understood without the 
use of titles, so in the same way music is best when it is de- 
scriptive of the mood of the composer, without explanation. 
It can readily be seen that melody which synchronizes with the 
action of a cinema has an appreciative and responsive appeal : 
the soft, soothing strains of the orchestra put the patrons in an 
atmosphere of repose and tranquillity. 

When the motion picture first came, a piano was its only 
accompaniment. In order to add a joyous touch, drums and 
taps were added. From this humble beginning grew the fine 
house orchestras which are permanently established in every 
important motion picture theater in this country. These have 
taken full advantage of the possibilities offered through good 
music, and many fine organizations now boast of orchestras 
that compare favorably with the skillful ensemble of the sym- 
phony society. A large number of these orchestras have a wide 
and fine repertoire, and the members consist of the best avail- 
able artists in the community. Why not ? 

The resourcefulness of the motion picture orchestra is with- 
out limit. Music is the language of sound, and every emotion 
can be expressed in it — joy, sorrow, fear, longing. In order 
to interpret a situation, passages are borrowed as readily from 
operatic scenes, concertos, as from the lighter works. And if 
the right music is not available, a special score is frequently 
written to fit the situation. Works from the masters, as well 
as the popular melodies of the day, may be part of the same 
motion picture score. It is the flexibility of the film which 



280 MOTION PICTURE THEATER MANAGEMENT 



makes this necessary, and the variety of the music played ap- 
peals to the average person. In this way, for instance, a patron 
may hear a passage from Wagner's "Flying Dutchman" that he 
would never have heard otherwise. 

Overtures of distinction and concert numbers are rendered at 
four and sometimes five performances daily. These mark the 
beginning of the so-called de luxe performances. In that way 
truly fine music is brought to many who otherwise might not 
be introduced to the higher forms, and a subconscious taste 
for good art is accordingly cultivated amongst these theater- 
goers. All this results in helping to develop musical taste 
through a new source. It is normal for people to enjoy good 
tunes, and the public is constantly climbing to higher levels of 
musical appreciation. Frequently vocal artists from the oper- 
atic and concert stage appear in conjunction with the musical 
program, so that the knowledge of compositions is increased 
by the greatness of interpretation. 

Motion picture music has brought to the front several truly 
talented conductors, who rank high in their circles, and who 
have developed their new medium into a highly specialized 
technique. The orchestra conductor of a theater should have a 
musical personality. Not only should he be capable in his 
work, but he should have a characteristic individuality that will 
make his conducting or playing unusual and distinctive. Above 
all, however, he must be able to work harmoniously with his 
men, and to cooperate to the fullest extent with the manage- 
ment in order to achieve thorough success. He naturally is 
responsible for the selection of the players in his orchestra in 
regard to their ability and their competency. A conductor 
should be immaculate in his appearance, gentlemanly in his 
conduct, clean-cut and well bred, and must be a man of sin- 
cerity. He should never exert undue authority or assume an 
attitude of superiority with those with whom he comes in con- 
tact. Nevertheless, it is essential that he maintain absolute 
discipline amongst the men in the orchestra. He must have a 
constant interest in his work in order to maintain a consistently 
high standard. 

Screening and preparing scores for motion pictures require 



MUSIC 



281 



a wide knowledge of all that is best in music, together with a 
full appreciation of dramatic musical value. The scorer must 
also have a sympathetic appreciation of motion pictures, to get 
the fullest value out of their possibilities. Although great 
strides have been made in the development of music in our 
industry, tremendous additional progress may be expected in 
the future. We are only in the infancy of what music can do 
for the motion picture. For good music enhances the enter- 
tainment value of the picture. Dramatic appeal is multiplied a 
thousand- fold through the ear. The right air or tempo in the 
right place helps to place the spectator in the mood kindred 
with the spirit of the picture, and it may sweep an audience 
into the highest emotional pitch. The weird clarion calls in the 
big climactic scene of "The Birth of a Nation" added tremen- 
dous dramatic tone to that situation. The homely but beloved 
melodies of old, together with a stirring march of fortitude, 
contributed greatly to the success of "The Covered Wagon," 
and there are many other motion pictures for which music 
played a part of great importance. 

Music for the photoplay should have plenty of contrast, 
with plenty of color and novelty in harmonic treatment. The 
sense of solitude in the motion picture theater, with soothing 
appropriate music, while the eye is fascinated to the picture, is 
an irresistible appeal to the patron. The soft lighting of the 
auditorium, the soothing music — bringing about almost a hyp- 
notic state — give the picture on the screen an almost dream- 
like quality. In such an atmosphere, the patron is able to con- 
centrate on and live with the characters on the screen. There- 
fore music is at its best when it is an accompaniment. It 
should never dominate the scene, but subtly blend the senses. 
The situation should be followed almost as at an operatic per- 
formance. 

Next to the feature photoplay, music has reached a position 
of greatest importance in the operation of high-grade motion 
picture theaters, and is a prime factor in program building, in- 
cluding, in addition to the pictures, presentations and pro- 
logues, singing and dancing divertisements, as well as 
orchestral overtures and concert numbers. The quality of the 



282 MOTION PICTURE THEATER MANAGEMENT 



auditory art has brought distinction to many theaters, winning 
public appreciation for successful effort in establishing high 
general standards. 

The fine theater boasts of very extensive music libraries, 
which include works of a wide range, where the gems of classic 
composers may be found side by side with the offerings of pop- 
ular, contemporary writers. The classics have greatest value 
because they have endured, and because in the final analysis 
they have the greatest heart appeal. Jazz has its place on the 
musical program when the occasion requires it. 

The Rochester University, as one instance of cultured direc- 
tion, conducts the Eastman Conservatory and Eastman The- 
atre, which have cultivated a high standard for moving pic- 
ture music, and have advanced the cause of training in this 
connection. Frequently, a librarian and a clerical staff are re- 
quired to administer the volumes properly. All the music is 
catalogued by name, composer, and descriptive mood, such as 
"Battle," "Sinister," "Mysterioso," "Lively," "Love Theme," 
etc. Some librarians also index geographically. If a scene is 
laid in Russia, appropriate music for it may be found through 
this method. 

The librarian should of course have a wide knowledge of 
music in general, but especially of American and European 
music. His department is a necessary and important invest- 
ment for those theaters where music is given its proper place 
on the program. Therefore, great care must be taken in select- 
ing the library to begin with. The foundation of every good 
collection consists of compositions from the masters, and such 
music is preferred by most patrons because it appeals to the 
basic emotions. In addition to the orchestral library, a special 
piano part library is maintained. It contains an extra piano 
part of each orchestration in the library. The object of this 
is that music which is selected by the scorer may be played 
on the piano in advance to determine whether it is appropriate. 

Quality rather than quantity is important in musical inter- 
pretation. It is better to have a good string quartet, composed 
of two violins, viola and 'cello, than to have an orchestra of ten 
ordinary pieces. If the theater is of the type which cannot 



MUSIC 



283 



afford such a combination, a good organ will show splendid 
results, if it is properly played. As important, therefore, as the 
players themselves is the proper orchestral arrangement. The 
parts in an orchestration for a full orchestra (fifteen pieces) 
should not be used for a ten- or twelve-piece orchestra, as 
otherwise the rendering will lack fullness, color, or the proper 
shading. 

Music should always be specially arranged for the instru- 
mentation of the orchestra. When it is considered that most 
musical scores for motion pictures are prepared, rehearsed and 
played in one week's time, the results attained can be appre- 
ciated. The speed is necessary, because of the fact that most 
motion picture theaters change their programs each week. The 
time will come, however, when a suitable central agency will 
prepare scores, giving this important work the proper time for 
study and for preparation of suitable scores. Specialists by 
training will select scores of utmost harmony, and will syn- 
chronize them perfectly with the action of the picture. Even 
now expert composers and arrangers are constantly at work, 
adapting masterpieces, or composing appropriate music to fit 
the scene when occasion requires. Such men are musicians of 
ability and have wide experience. 

The scores prepared will be flexible, and with substitute 
numbers wherever necessary, so that they may be used by the 
large orchestra of eighty as well as the ensemble of five or six. 
Although music cue sheets are now furnished by the producers 
of motion pictures, these are of little value to theaters where 
music is already given especial attention. 

The first step in preparing a score for a motion picture is in 
the screening of the picture, which takes place in a screen room 
located in the theater. While the rehearsal is held, the scorer 
divides the film into musical sequences, making note of the 
scenes that will require a certain type of music, and timing 
these. It is of vital importance to divide the sequences of the 
picture carefully. In addition, a meter registers the speed at 
which the film is shown. The scorer is generally the musical 
director ; in some instances, however, the work is done by the 
concert master, his assistant. 



284 MOTION PICTURE THEATER MANAGEMENT 



The scorer then selects from the piano library the suitable 
selections or compositions to fit the various situations. The 
music for a motion picture should be chosen with the same care 
as though it were an opera. When the score has been fully 
determined, he screens the picture again, fitting the music to 
each situation and making certain that each composition 
"segues" or merges into the next piece. A pianist plays the 
music, and the picture is stopped as often as necessary until the 
proper marks or notations are made. The score is then turned 
over to the librarian, who prepares the orchestral parts, making 
each one according to the piano arrangement. The composi- 
tion is then rehearsed with the orchestra. Eventually the men 
become familiar with the library, and then the orchestra is 
rehearsed principally as to the attacks and segues, so that each 
section may blend into the next, making a continuous and har- 
monious whole of the score. When music and the motion pic- 
ture merge exactly as to dramatic action, and the conductor and 
his orchestra play the score sympathetically and with under- 
standing, the result is a brilliant ensemble. Scores are fre- 
quently prepared for motion pictures of importance by mu- 
sicians of note, with specially written music, though often 
woven in with movements and passages from compositions of 
the masters. The playing time of an orchestra must be care- 
fully scheduled as to rest periods, and so arranged that the 
most effective parts of the program that require symphonic 
music may not be deprived of the use of the orchestra. 

An important adjunct to the music of the motion picture the- 
ater is the organ. The first organs used in connection with 
motion pictures were small pipe affairs, which nevertheless 
served splendidly where a proper orchestra could not be ob- 
tained, or where the maintenance of an orchestra was too ex- 
pensive for the type of theater. While this kind of organ con- 
tributed splendidly and was a stepping stone towards better 
music, yet there was not sufficient flexibility in such instru- 
ments. To supply the want, a new type of organ was devel- 
oped, known as the orchestral unit. Its early story is of in- 
terest : 

Some thirty-five years ago an English electrical engineer 



MUSIC 



285 



named Robert Hope-Jones discovered that the new location 
did not permit the full assembly of the instrument. So the 
engineer-musician resorted to his electrical knowledge to solve 
the problem. The console and part of the organ were placed 
in the new location, and electrical power was introduced to 
control the speaking pipes. 

Disheartening obstacles were met with in this startling inno- 
vation. But at last all were overcome, and the fame of the 
Birkenhead organ spread throughout England. St. John's 
Church became the mecca of music lovers, churchmen, and 
scientists. Robert Hope-Jones became a celebrity and found 
himself with a new life work, that of reconstructing the pipe 
organ along lines now so familiar as to be commonplace. 

England did not take kindly to Mr. Hope-Jones, his electro- 
pneumatic action, and the tonal revolutions he brought to pass 
in organ building. In 1903 he therefore came to the United 
States, where his ideas soon found a cordial welcome. That 
American organ builders lead the world to-day in the construc- 
tion of this kind of instrument is due to Mr., Hope- Jones' 
pioneering work upon our shores. 

The last thirty-five years have witnessed the birth of many 
marvelous devices and have written the romance of many ob- 
scure men who have been finally hailed as geniuses. Into this 
category goes the name and memory of the English electrical 
engineer who had a hobby in the organ and who made a seem- 
ingly impossible barrier a stepping stone to fame, incidentally 
giving to humanity a new thing of beauty and a joy forever. 
Built on the same principle as the pipe organ, it was a radical 
departure in many respects. In addition to the ordinary pipes, 
brass counterparts of orchestral instruments were virtually 
added, as well as mechanisms that provide faithful reproduc- 
tions of stringed instruments, drums, percussion, xylophones. 
Other novelty stops helped to furnish color ; and, in addition, 
an electric action with almost instantaneous response gave this 
new type of orchestral organ the flexibility required for motion 
picture playing. It is frequently used together with the orches- 
tra, adding tonal quality, and is depended upon successfully, 
with musical value, during the periods when the orchestra 



286 MOTION PICTURE THEATER MANAGEMENT 



rests. In many large theaters an organ overture or other nov- 
elty is a successful unit on the program. Finally, the newer 
type has developed several organists who have achieved out- 
standing success in the playing of the instrument. 

Its manipulation by an expert has great entertainment value. 
Many organists are able to get splendid results through the 
use of slides, not much different from those of the old-fash- 
ioned illustrated song idea, except that the slides are more artis- 
tically executed, and the organ offers unusual opportunities for 
novelty effects. The unit organ is made in different sizes, from 
the type suitable for small theaters, to one for those seating 
five thousand. 

Another interesting development from which much can be 
expected is the synchronization of sight and sound. Success 
has already been achieved with such apparatus, both as to 
perfect synchronization as well as to uncanny amplification of 
volume. While the device is probably not in the final state 
of perfection, it is a factor that offers further opportunities 
of development in connection with music. By this means it is 
possible to synchronize a motion picture with the music of a 
symphony orchestra. Then films and disks can be sent to the 
most remote town, and the music may be faithfully reproduced 
in perfect timing with the photoplay. Eventually this may 
result in elimination of the indifferent music of the small the- 
ater, because of the local lack of capable musicians. Great 
artists appearing before this apparatus w T ill be not only seen, 
but heard as well. This ought to mean much in small commu- 
nities where such artists cannot appear because of an 
insufficient concert public. 

Several research organizations have experts at work on 
sound synchronization devices, all of which must result to the 
advance of the motion picture theater. It is perhaps too much 
to expect that such a mechanical device could efficiently take 
the place of actual orchestras or artists, because of the absence 
of the personality and vividness that exist in the flesh, but 
as an auxiliary to the program it will find an important place ; 
and may eventually be substituted for the musicians in small 
theaters. There may be further development, likewise, in con- 



MUSIC 



287 



nection with the production of certain types of pictures, or 
scenes in pictures, where speech or sound may play an im- 
portant part. 

There are two additional ways in which music can contribute 
to the success of operation. One — a very minor one, but I 
mention it because it is actually practiced — is in connection 
with promotion. A time-worn stunt, borrowed from the circus 
and older enterprises of the showman's world, is to send some 
musical instrument out on wheels, together with banners or 
posters advertising the entertainment. The steam calliope is 
the instance that comes obviously to mind. 

The other — a much more dignified — auxiliary, is the organ 
or orchestral concert, held not in the theater auditorium, but 
in a separate hall in the same building, to entertain crowds 
waiting to see the feature. As a means of relieving lobby 
traffic during hours of peak load it promises one fine solution. 
The matter is mentioned here because of the propriety of clas- 
sification. It will be dealt with at greater length in the chapter 
on the Paramount Theatre. 



CHAPTER XXIX 



Special Films: Short Subjects; Road Shows 




iHE two subjects of this chapter will undoubtedly look 



queer linked to each other, since they resemble each 



other only in the sense of being films. It is like put- 
ting the midget and the giant together in one side-show tent 
because they are both men. Of course, they have another sim- 
ilarity in the eyes of the operator and the public, since each of 
these varieties of cinema is a special attraction. The short 
subject is an element of the program different from the fea- 
ture and therefore heightening its effect, if only by contrast. 
The road show, when it comes off the road and enters the regu- 
lar channels of operation, may be the big drawing card of the 
house for a week or more. At any rate, they are both oddities 
of the program, and fit into this miscellaneous section better 
than they might elsewhere. 

Since a great many managers have not the capital, the facili- 
ties, the personnel, or the need of stage productions, they must 
rely entirely on pictures and music for their programs. On the 
other hand, they are under pressure to attain variety, for no 
public taste is so constant as to relish the very same sort of 
offering, and nothing but the very same offering, week in and 
week out. Even small, neighborhood theaters try to vary the 
appeal from "western" to light comedy or "society" stories. In 
addition they ring in the changes on each program by adding 
brief numbers ; or occasionally they splurge to the extent of ex- 
hibiting an old road show favorite that is going the round of 
the fifth runs. Either of these methods, or both, will show 
on the books favorably. Hence this chapter. 



The short subject may be considered to be any film unit on 
a program other than the feature photoplay. It may be one, 



SHORT SUBJECTS 



288 



SHORT SUBJECTS; ROAD SHOWS 289 



two, or three reels in length. A reel, when full, is approxi- 
mately one thousand feet, and takes from twelve to fifteen min- 
utes to project. 

The importance of the short subject is recognized by every 
theater operator, and frequently a theater brings to its program 
an added distinction through careful selection in this regard. 
Such managers choose their short subjects with the same care 
as they do their feature photoplays. The films are picked so 
that they will fit in, and merge the program into a harmonious 
whole. In such houses special music is selected for the briefer 
picture with utmost care, and is made appropriate for the in- 
terpretation of the smallest detail. 

The short subject may be of great entertainment worth, and 
may add interest to the program, besides offering that quality 
of novelty and variety which is of such great value. The 
proper blending of the units lends good support to the princi- 
pal feature, and builds up a program that may be distinguished 
from the ordinary picture show, which is thrown together hap- 
hazardly. 

That the public is appreciative of good subjects is borne out 
by the fact that at times the short subject unit is appreciated 
as much as the feature photoplay, particularly when the feature 
is one of ordinary caliber. Some notable contributions to the 
screen, moreover, have come via the short subject route, and 
amongst the best film stars are many who were introduced 
originally from that source. This is particularly true of our 
best comedians, amongst them Charlie Chaplin, Harold Lloyd, 
and many others. Mary Pickford, Gloria Swanson and other 
notable players received their earlier training making these 
one-reelers. 

The short subject should be encouraged by every progressive 
management, because through that avenue much experimenta- 
tion may be attempted that might otherwise prove prohibitive. 
Exhibitors would only be too willing to book units which need 
not be depended upon for box office results, but which have 
their place on the program as supplemental to the feature. A 
very unusual screen study, "The Last Laugh," with Emil Jan- 
nings, could not get bookings as a feature, but when it was 



290 MOTION PICTURE THEATER MANAGEMENT 



adapted as a short subject received a wide showing. On oc- 
casions some theaters have achieved success with a program 
consisting of all short units. This, however, is the exception to 
the rule. There are nevertheless several movements to estab- 
lish "short subjects" theaters in several cities of large popula- 
tion. Those attempts are being fostered by producers and 
distributors of the product, who feel that in this way their 
program units will be given the right place in the industry, 
and will allow them the dignity and the exploitation to which 
they are entitled. 

The most commonly used short subject which is a unit apart 
from any other is the news reel. This picture-news film has 
a place on any motion picture program, is of great interest, 
and is appreciated by all types of audiences. In importance it 
is second only to that of the feature story. Most events 
throughout the world are pictured in the news reels as rapidly 
as negatives may be brought to the laboratories. News reels 
are generally published bi-weekly. The organization of pro- 
duction is as follows: Camera men are stationed at strategic 
points in countries throughout the world. These photographers 
are of adventurous spirit, and sometimes get their "shots" 
regardless of personal safety. If ordinary conveyances are not 
readily available for transportation, it is nothing for them to 
charter an airship, if that will mean a scoop for their company. 

The news reel can be made very effective when music is care- 
fully selected to fit the "shots" that are shown, In order that 
this may be properly accomplished, it is necessary for the mu- 
sical conductor to "screen" the news reel, prepare a cue sheet, 
and select satisfactory music for each "shot." In larger met- 
ropolitan theaters, managements frequently contract for two 
or three or four different news weeklies. The best "shots" 
are selected from each, and are placed together as one weekly, 
as the theater's own news reel. While this method is more 
costly, it gives the theater an exclusive weekly, with a selection 
of the best "shots" from all sources. Some progressive man- 
agements add a local weekly, which is a useful addition where 
camera and laboratory can be made available. 

Comedies are next in importance, because of their wide use. 



SHORT SUBJECTS; ROAD SHOWS 291 



Most screen farces belong to the "slapstick" variety, and may 
be compared with the comic supplement of a newspaper. Such 
films are intended to cater to the younger element, and are 
produced with that idea in mind, since it appears that good 
burlesque and buffoonery are preferred. Although comedies 
of subtle humor, and even satire, are produced occasionally, 
the demand for those is limited at present. Comedies place 
audiences in a happy mood; and it's a good thing to send 
patrons smiling from the theater. In order to get the best 
results, funny pictures should be given the same careful at- 
tention, as to music, as the feature. Good airs that synchronize 
with the situations, and are of the same tempo, make a com- 
edy more enjoyable. The same rule applies to the presentation 
of any type of that unit that is worth showing. 

Animated cartoons are frequently used when the program 
does not allow time for the length of a comedy, which fre- 
quently consists of two reels. Cartoons are generally half a 
reel in length. These have good entertainment value. 

Industrial and scientific subjects always make interesting 
units on a program, and illustrate the value of motion pictures 
as an educative force. Scenic motion pictures bring to the the- 
ater nature's garden spots. They are always beautiful to see, 
and are restful, and lend themselves especially to fine musical 
interpretation. Biographical reels likewise appeal to many 
people. 

Topics or conversational films of timely or humorous com- 
ment may be used with good effect, particularly when they are 
employed as part of the news weekly. 

The reviews, or magazine reels, may be adopted in part or in 
whole. This sort of film corresponds to the magazine amongst 
publications. Interesting and novel subjects make up its con- 
tent, such as slow motion photography, hand-colored subjects, 
etc. 

Management should employ short subjects, and that granted, 
should take the same care in the selection as in the case of the 
photoplay feature, realizing that every unit of a program must 
be meritorious if the entertainment is expected to measure up 
to a high standard, 



292 MOTION PICTURE THEATER MANAGEMENT 

A new type of short subject, I feel sure, will be brought 
about through sound producing devices synchronized with film. 
In this way many artists and performers will be brought to re- 
mote theaters, who heretofore have not been available for mo- 
tion picture showing. Such subjects can only enhance the 
value of the motion picture program, and lend a new note to 
the whole operation. The foremost artists from the concert 
platform, eminent operatic singers, and the most popular stage 
players will be seen and heard in this fashion. This is the latest 
wrinkle. As time goes on there will doubtless be others just 
as in the past mental ingenuity and special skill have been pro- 
ductive of newer and stranger and more attractive forms from 
year to year. 

ROAD SHOWS 

The super type of motion picture, such as "The Birth of a 
Nation/' "Way Down East," "The Covered Wagon," "The 
Ten Commandments," "The King of Kings," "Ben Hur," and 
"The Big Parade," are placed before the public for first show- 
ing through an entirely different distributing agency than that 
through which other photoplays are released. Such pictures 
are handled exactly on the same basis as a "legitimate stage" 
attraction. Of course, the motion picture feature which is to 
be exploited in this manner must be one of unusual merit. It 
must have a universal appeal, and be outstanding in merit. 
It must have "epic quality." It must have the "epic" call, 
striking deep into the emotions. 

The feature is first given a premier in a legitimate theater in 
New York at advanced prices (generally $1.65 for the best 
seats). If the motion picture registers with the public as a 
truly unusual offering, approximately ten to twelve road com- 
panies are organized. Routings are arranged through the 
legitimate theaters of the country. Each road company con- 
sists of traveling projection equipment, with expert projection- 
ists and advertising men, a manager, a musical conductor, and 
a number of key musicians. The companies are booked in 
such fashion as to cover most of the important cities through- 
out the land. In that way it is soon shown in practically every 
outstanding community. 



SHORT SUBJECTS; ROAD SHOWS 293 



Road showing naturally requires a large organization and a 
direction of high executive ability. The road showing of mo- 
tion pictures was first established by J. J. McCarthy, who has 
created an organization which specializes in this work. Men 
of a representative type, experienced in the administrative de- 
partment of the spoken drama and grand opera, comprise the 
personnel. The managers of these companies are true execu- 
tives of experience, and the publicity writers are trained jour- 
nalists. Each company is capable of giving a standardized 
presentation so that the staging, the advertising and the musical 
accompaniment of every unit is of the same quality as that 
showing in New York. 

The road shows differ entirely in policy from the regular 
motion picture theaters. Only two performances are given 
daily, one in the afternoon and the other at night. Every seat 
is reserved, and the performance begins at a specified time. 
This is a distinct advantage, because spectators see the picture 
from the beginning and follow the story through ; whereas in 
motion picture theaters, frequently, patrons drop in in the 
middle of a feature. The entire entertainment of a road show 
consists of the one picture, without any supplemental film or 
other units. Therefore such super features generally must be 
of sufficient length to make up a full evening's entertainment. 

There is a marked advantage in having an orchestra travel 
with the company to synchronize the music perfectly with the 
moods of the picture, because the orchestra stays with the par- 
ticular company and thus is able to perfect its playing of the 
score, bringing out the full volume and variety of the score. 

The merits of the picture are emphasized to the exclusion of 
all else and exploitation is concentrated on the big film. In 
this way nothing but the feature is sold to the public ; and be- 
cause it is handled this way, its publicity is exclusive. 

The type of picture that can be thus marketed is very rare, 
but a showing of this sort is unusually profitable, and brings 
additional prestige to the industry. Furthermore, after it is 
exploited as a road show, it is then released through the regular 
distributing machinery for exhibition in the regular motion 
picture theaters. The exploitation that such pictures receive 



294 MOTION PICTURE THEATER MANAGEMENT 



on the original basis is of great value in attracting a tremen- 
dous patronage for the play when it is shown in the motion 
picture theater at regular prices. Advertising of road shows 
is done in a dignified manner, and includes newspaper exploita- 
tion as well as heavy bill-posting. Every device of the legiti- 
mate theater is used. The proper handling of the road show- 
ing of a really worthwhile picture will reap earnings in excess 
of a million dollars. 

Road showing is becoming more difficult because legitimate 
theaters throughout the country are fast disappearing on ac- 
count of the lack of worthwhile stage attractions, and also 
because motion picture chain organizations are absorbing such 
theaters. The road show as an institution, however, is not 
likely to be eliminated. It is too valuable to the industry. 
Special theaters will probably be provided in important cities 
which will be equipped to show "road show" pictures at ad- 
vanced prices of admission, with reserved seats and with the 
old advantages of "road show" methods. Such a circuit of 
"road show" theaters will enable even more concentration than 
exists in the original form of "road showing," and should 
mean the elimination of considerable expense, caused through 
the movement of companies from city to city. 

Some producers exhibit certain motion pictures as "road 
shows" in order to take advantage of the popularity of the 
latter. Such showings must not be confused with the genuine 
"road shows" as referred to in this chapter. 

Very few pictures have the quality which establishes them 
as being of "road show" caliber. Very few pictures fit into 
that classification. Indeed, the real ones are not so much pro- 
duced as they are the result of inspiration. Less than ten mo- 
tion pictures have been successfully "road showed" since the 
inception of the entire industry. These are "The Birth of a 
Nation," "Intolerance," "Way Down East," "The Covered 
Wagon," "The Ten Commandments," "The Big Parade," 
"Ben Hur," "What Price Glory," and "Beau Geste." 



SHORT SUBJECTS; ROAD SHOWS 295 



CONCLUSION 

It is interesting, sometimes, to note a special effect created 
in a nation's daily life by this or that feature of a new industry. 
The "slow motion movie" had barely enjoyed its first show- 
ing when the stage took up the idea. Acrobats and comedians 
made a fad of imitating the leisurely camera. A new stage 
stunt came into existence. And an old art paid the highest 
compliment to the youngest member of the family ! Of course, 
the slow motion picture had already served science by pho- 
tographing phenomena of slight movement over long periods 
of time. Art, too, had profited from the filming of rapidly 
moving bodies — horses, for example; so that painting has 
become more realistic in these connections. Finally, the term 
"slow movie" or "slow motion" has entered our vernacular 
speech as a synonym for indolence or dullness ! 

As to the road show, it has won a high place in the considera- 
tion, not only of the general public, but of the pulpit and the 
rostrum and the professor's chair. College faculties of his- 
tory have given to "The Birth of a Nation," "The Covered 
Wagon" and "Old Ironsides" a value greater than that of texts. 
Preachers have lauded the high moral force of "Intolerance," 
"Ben Hur," and "The Ten Commandments," and "The King 
of Kings." The adaptation of "Way Down East" has carried 
as much force as the old play, and certainly has reached and 
moved and delighted a vaster audience. 

These are motion pictures. They are also triumphs of art, 
accepted as truly in their own way, by the millions and by 
the critics, as are the masterpieces of other creative fields — 
painting, music, sculpture, drama, literature. In the growing 
number of these noble films, the industry yearly rises in dignity 
and truth. And since the greater length of our history lies in 
the future, still to be achieved, who can predict the heights to 
be reached? Is it exaggeration to say that one stands before 
the prospect with reverence, and even awe? 



CHAPTER XXX 



Stage Presentations 

PRIMARILY the motion picture theater must depend on 
the photoplay itself for genuine progress. The other 
units on its program may in themselves be important; 
but it is the appeal of the animated screen that has made the 
theater so popular with the people. Therefore, while all efforts 
should be made to add novelty, contrast, or color to a motion 
picture theater program, it must be remembered that such 
efforts are merely supplementary to the mainstay of the pro- 
gram — the feature photoplay. 

A bit of historical review will not be amiss here : The first 
exclusive motion picture theater was opened in Pittsburgh 
during Thanksgiving week in 1905, by Harry Davis, with a 
film entitled "The Great Train Robbery," which incidentally 
was one of the first screen stories filmed. It was produced by 
Edwin S. Porter. This theater was a converted store and was 
furnished with equipment that had mainly outlived its useful- 
ness at the Grand Opera House. The experiment was profit- 
able and was a forerunner of the nickelodeons throughout the 
country. A new industry was in the making. Yet even in the 
very early period of motion picture exhibition, when motion 
pictures were just turned out at the rate of so many feet each 
week, without regard to quality, some enterprising exhibitors 
put an added attraction on the program, such as a singer, a 
dancing team, or a quartette. The "theaters" were converted 
stores with a small platform as a stage. As exhibitors found 
this attraction idea profitable, and as competition increased, 
two and sometimes three of such acts were added to the pro- 
gram. The form of entertainment finally developed into the 
picture-vaudeville policy as shown to-day, in which a program 
of five or six acts of variety is shown, together with a feature 

296 



STAGE PRESENTATIONS 



297 



motion picture. Although the theaters themselves improved, 
the same principle of the "early" days exists — a "Bargain" 
show for the admission price. 

There is a wide distinction between the "stage presentations" 
of the de luxe motion picture theater and the vaudeville-pic- 
ture theater. As motion pictures themselves improved, they 
began to attract a higher type of patronage, which resulted in 
the building of small theaters specially designed for the show- 
ing of the cinema. During the period, the quality of the music 
began to evidence marked improvement. About this time sev- 
eral resourceful exhibitors conceived a type of motion picture 
theater which would cater to the better class of patron, and 
orchestras were placed on raised platforms and stages, singers 
with good voices were included on the program, and an instru- 
mental solo was added. In 19 14 the opening of the Strand 
Theatre in New York established a new thought in motion pic- 
ture presentation. Mitchell H. Mark, who had operated several 
"store shows" with success, engaged Samuel A. Rothafel to 
direct this new type of motion picture house. The Rothafel 
kind of screen presentation resulted, and became the forerun- 
ner of the fine motion picture theaters that were subsequently 
built throughout the country. Colored lights thrown on the or- 
chestra and a fountain with colored lights playing on the 
water, formed an altogether pleasing picture in contrast to the 
earlier efforts, giving this part of the program a "concert" 
touch. 

The music improved, fine organs were added, more elaborate 
stages were designed and the theater in itself was improved. 
Exhibitors with imagination then took another step forward 
by the introduction of classic dancing in addition to singing. 
Some began to put on numbers which were meant to interpret 
some important part of the feature photoplay. A scene in the 
photoplay would be reproduced as closely as possible, on the 
stage. Together with either dancing or singing, or both, it 
was acted just before the showing of the feature motion pic- 
ture. The object was to place the audience in the atmospheric 
mood of the picture. 

This led to the "prologue" idea, which developed into elab- 



298 MOTION PICTURE THEATER MANAGEMENT 



orate presentations. The production of prologues should be 
attempted only by experts who are intimately familiar with 
stagecraft, and who have available the very best talent. To 
produce a scene that is intended to complement the motion 
picture feature, or to represent a scene from the picture, is a 
big undertaking. Unless it is well done, it detracts from, 
rather than adds to the value of the program. Not every fea- 
ture picture lends itself to such treatment; so presentations are 
produced to commemorate patriotic or seasonable holidays, and 
other numbers are shown without any special relation, except 
that they are of a type which blends into the atmosphere of 
the program. A simple, yet effective staging, is accomplished, 
for example, by placing four or five members of the orchestra 
on the stage, behind a clear white sheet which hangs across the 
stage, with light in back of them, thrown toward the audience. 
The result is a silhouetted group which, with proper lighting, 
may be very striking. Patriotic presentations during holidays 
are particularly timely and are generally welcomed by audi- 
ences. On July 4th, tableaux representing "The Spirit of y j6" 
or "Washington Crossing the Delaware" are but two of many 
subjects which contribute just the right note to a program. On 
"Mother's Day," a good audience reaction greeted the simple 
presentation of a reproduction of Whistler's painting of his 
mother, with suitable musical accompaniment. 

All of this brought about a type of entertainment which 
blended with motion pictures, and yet because of color, of- 
fered a contrast to the screen itself. The result was a program 
that offered variety in a soothing atmosphere, bringing to- 
gether the entertainment force of the screen, the emotional 
value of music, and the feasting of the eye on pleasing stage 
divertisements. At the same time it was possible to give a 
rounded-out program of sufficient running time, approximately 
two hours. Mr. Hugo Riesenfeld, a musical conductor of 
note, established new standards for musical scoring and presen- 
tations. The development of motion picture presentations has 
continued with remarkable strides, until to-day talented organ- 
izations are maintained in the large city theaters that present 
truly worthwhile effort of a high type, comparable with the 



STAGE PRESENTATIONS 



299 



best that the theater has to offer. The presentation may be 
"The Ballet of the Flowers," or may be a "Bubble Dance," or 
it may take the form of a singing chorus silhouetted behind a 
white screen, or a reproduction of a famous painting; or may 
show the burning of Moscow to the music of the "i 812 Over- 
ture." Altogether, it is a type of performance that is pleasing 
to the eye and ear. Such presentations are created by the stage 
director, the musician or the managing director, and programs 
are changed each week. The orchestra and artists rehearse 
their programs, until at the end of the week the combined effect 
is blended together in a general rehearsal of orchestra, scen- 
ery, costumes, and lighting. 

Another type of motion picture theater presentation has been 
evolved during the past few years, and received its greatest de- 
velopment through Balaban and Katz in Chicago and by 
Sam Katz in his operation of Publix Theatres and West 
Coast Theatres on the Pacific Coast. Because of the large 
capacities of some of the newer sort of theaters, enterprising 
exhibitors have felt that their stage offerings could be of such 
a level as, regardless of the box office possibilities of the photo- 
play, would of themselves draw crowds and pack the house. 
This has resulted in a form of entertainment that is somewhat 
of a "revue" or "musical comedy" character, and is of lighter 
vein than the prologue or "concert" idea I have explained. 
It may take the form of a "Syncopation Week," "Charleston 
Contest," "Opera vs. Jazz," "Fashion Revue," "Beauty Re- 
vue," "Take a Chance Week," "Jazz Idea," "Hello, Lind- 
bergh," or whatever may have box office possibilities. In the 
production of these, much ingenuity and novelty are shown and 
the scenery and the lighting are of the best grade. The form 
of presentation has shown good box office reaction, and will 
undoubtedly be further developed. The effects used in pro- 
ducing these, however, are limited because most theaters ren- 
der such shows for a single week. It must be apparent that 
few stage producers have the talent or the funds available tQ 
create such innovations each week for fifty-two weeks. 

The difficulty is overcome, however, through a production 
plan which West Coast Theatres recently adopted in connec- 



300 MOTION PICTURE THEATER MANAGEMENT 



tion with the preparation of such stage units where stage pre- 
sentations known as "Fanchon and Marco Revues" are part of 
the program. A production department has been established in 
Los Angeles, California, where talented directors conceive, re- 
hearse, and produce each unit, taking the time required to 
make an act adequately. The unit is then shown throughout 
the circuit, starting in Los Angeles. Since the productions 
(scenery and costumes) are created for use over an entire 
circuit, it is apparent that more cost can be allowed for such 
items. The result is a performance of magnificence, vying 
with the best the theater can offer. Artists are now engaged 
for several months, and a better quality of talent, therefore, is 
available. 

This plan required the establishment of carefully worked- 
out schedules and routines, because of railroad jumps; but, 
that having been accomplished, the system moves on smoothly, 
with very satisfactory results. Scenery and costumes are de- 
signed by expert art directors and are manufactured at a cen- 
tral point, assuring the control of the standards. The stage 
producers selected are those of the highest talent and experi- 
ence. It is likely that this plan of procedure will be adopted by 
other circuits, and by theater operators, where a sufficient num- 
ber can be found to cooperate for the purpose. 

There is another type of stage presentation that is not a 
presentation in a true sense, but which has considerable value 
in attracting patronage at times, regardless of the box office 
value of the photoplay. These are "star" performers or artists 
who have achieved a big reputation. The attraction may be a 
"King of Jazz" or a "star" borrowed from the legitimate 
stage, or an "act" from vaudeville, or an eminent musical 
artist from the operatic or concert stage. When such artists 
or performers are well known and have extraordinary talent, 
they are booked to appear in large motion picture theaters, with 
profit, They receive very large salaries, of course, frequently 
considerably more than they are accustomed to earn. There- 
fore, they can appear only in the largest theaters. The type of 
talent, however, that has box office value is very much limited ; 



STAGE PRESENTATIONS 



301 



consequently theaters which support a production staff and its 
attendant upkeep can seldom afford to depart from the practice 
of creating their own stage attractions. The very essence of 
good showmanship, however, frequently makes a departure 
from custom a desirable project. 

A recent development in stage attractions is the so-called 
band leader attractions, where the leader is a personality who 
acts as the master of ceremonies in introducing talent in con- 
junction with band numbers that are played. Many personali- 
ties have been developed in this type of stage work, chief 
amongst them being Paul Ash, Rube Wolf, Eddie Peabody, 
Gene Morgan and others. 

Popular stage presentations must be timely, or they lose their 
appeal to the public, and a continuous diet of such presentations 
is inadvisable. The better type of theater will vary its offer- 
ings, as occasion makes necessary, guided to a great extent by 
the type of motion picture photoplay that is shown. A proper 
blending of the program will guide the producer in this respect. 
It is, moreover, advisable to intersperse the "revue" type with 
the "concert" type of presentation. 

While there is bound to be further development in the pro- 
duction of stage presentations, it is hoped that our more pro- 
gressive exhibitors will realize that the real future of the mo- 
tion picture theater is through the motion picture, and that 
stage presentations are intended only to "complete the picture," 
so to speak. 

APPENDIX TO CHAPTER XXX 
A list of definitions of terms used in production 

Act: A musical revue or miniature musical comedy, or a per- 
formance in which persons participate. There may be one or 
more scenes to a single act. 

Apron : That portion of the stage that extends beyond the pro- 
scenium in the direction of the audience. 

Arch : A section of scenery which includes an opening for en- 
trances or exits. 

Background : A scene painted on a curtain that extends beyond 
visible stage limits. This may be a painted drop, a drapery, 
or a neutral color drop on which lights may be thrown. 



302 MOTION PICTURE THEATER MANAGEMENT 



Backing: The sections of scenery used to mask an entrance, 
window or door, which might otherwise make the rear visible 
to the audience. 

Borders: Painted scenery which hangs from above and which 
masks the upper portion of the stage, and represents sky, 
ceiling, or foliage. They are numbered, beginning from the 
proscenium, as first border, second border, etc. 

Border Lights: Rows of bulbs, usually in inverted troughs, 
which give light from above. 

Brace: A wooden support which holds scenery in place. 

Bunch Lights : A round or square cluster of lamps mounted in 
a reflector box on standards. 

Color Frames : The frames in which are mounted tinted gelatine 
sheets. 

Cyclorama : A background painted to resemble the sky. 

Dimmer: An apparatus for increasing or decreasing the intensity 
of lights. These usually come in "banks,'' and are so ar- 
ranged that certain sections may be dimmed. 

Drapery : Curtains ; draperies which extend the full width of the 
stage opening. They are numbered from the proscenium. 
The phrase "scene in one" means that the action takes place 
before the No. I drapery. 

Drape Sets : Scenery consisting of cloth, silk, or other materials. 

Flats : Sections of upright scenery. 

Flies : The section above the stage from which scenery is raised 
and lowered. 

Footlights: Lamps along the edge of the stage. They are fa- 
miliarly called "foots." 

Grand Drapery: This is a drapery arrangement hung from 
above and placed behind the proscenium arch in connection 
with the tormentor. 

Grid: The complete iron-like construction above the scene loft. 

Gelatines : Colored sheets of gelatine placed in frames in front 
of the spot portion of floodlights. 

Lashline : Rope used to hold sections of scenery together. 

Light Plot : A schedule of light changes. 

Medium : See gelatines. 

Music Plot : A schedule of incidental music , the cues furnished 

to the musical conductor. 
Practical : When applied to certain portions of scenery the term 

indicates that they are usable. A door that opens and locks 

is a practical door, etc. 
Props : Properties ; the various articles used by the players in the 

action of a scene or act. 
Property Man : The person who cares for properties. 



STAGE PRESENTATIONS 



303 



Proscenium : The arch, above the stage, which frames the open- 
ing. 

Remote Control Switchboard: A switchboard in which the 
apparatus is placed, apart from the panel where levers are 
operated elsewhere. 

Returns: Flats used to make the side walls of a set off stage, 
or up side. 

Scene: A division of an act. 

Scene Plot : A schedule of seats in the order of their use. 
Set : A setting. The scenery used in any portion of an act. 
Set Piece: An individual piece of scenery, such as a tree, a 
house, etc. 

Spot: Spotlight; a light of unusual brilliance focused either on 

a player or on a section of the stage. 
Strip Lights: Similar to borders, excepting that they must be 

placed at different points to eliminate certain parts of the 

stage. 

Teaser : The front border in connection with the grand drapery. 
Tormentors: Scenery or draperies that mark off the first en- 
trance behind the proscenium arch. 
Trap : Any opening cut into the floor of the stage. 
Wardrobe : Where costumes are kept. 



CHAPTER XXXI 



Refrigeration Systems and Other Mechanical Aids 

IT is interesting to note that human ingenuity applied itself 
first to banishing the misery of cold in winter, rather than 
of heat in summer. The causes for this instinctive pref- 
erence are, of course, easy to understand. Freezing tempera- 
tures require more attention from the brain in protecting the 
body, since sultry weather demands mainly a minimum of 
clothing. The truth of this statement is to be seen in the ex- 
treme instance of tropical localities, where natives respond to 
equatorial conditions in the only possible manner. Further- 
more, the application of science to the conquest of Boreas is 
characteristic of those vast regions of the north which, under 
grimmer necessity of struggle with the elements, have de- 
veloped mechanical inventiveness to a degree unequaled else- 
where. Hence we find applied mechanics, operating in localities 
where it is most highly evolved, addressing itself first to the 
prime problem of the region. The primitive Northerner used 
the same blaze to heat his food and to thaw out his own numb- 
ness. Followed the hearth, the stove, the radiator ; and in the 
same succession, wood, coal, dry air, steam, and even electric- 
ity. Civilization has tamed the winter, even for the lone bird- 
man of the upper ether, wrapped in his individual warming- 
plant ! 

Now, with characteristic restlessness for a new world to 
conquer, Man the Thinker turns a speculative eye and an artful 
hand to the foe at the other extreme. Strangely enough, the 
very instruments he perfected for the banishment of Frost now 
lie ready to be slightly altered, or merely recombined, to expel 
the sultry oppressor. Coal, electricity, engines — which we 
have become accustomed to associate with the idea of heat 
— are employed in the interests of producing low tempera- 

304 



REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS 305 



tures. Likewise, the suction of dangerous drafts has been 
subdued to be the willing servant of an even distribution. 
And finally, man has made the greatest discovery of all : The 
invisible thing we call "air" is a solid ! Compressed by proper 
forces to focus on a small surface, it can be made to work 
like flesh or steel or dynamite. It can, for instance, hurl a 
handful of change across a great area in a department store, 
like a human hand. It can scrape dirt from the surface of a 
building better than steel, or apply paint more evenly than a 
brush. It can part the waves, or break down walls. 

Like any physical substance, moreover, it can be warmed and 
cooled, propelled along definite paths, washed and dried, cleaned 
and reemployed. Therefore not only the rotor ship and the 
dirigible have put the invisible to work. The ventilation 
engineer has separated its currents like threads of fiber, and 
woven them into a fabric unbelievable. New magician of a 
new age, he makes the snake-charmer of yesterday a mere 
tyro by comparison. Not only does he tame — he half discovers 
and half creates the power which he subdues to his will. 

In days of old, the man with the new idea took it to some 
opulent potentate, who used it for his own ends. Nowadays, 
he takes it to some colossal industry, and whole populations 
profit. In so far as ventilation is a science, it is the daughter 
of mechanics ; but in so far as it is a public blessing, it is the 
adopted and cherished child of the industry that has taken it 
in, reared it to maturity, and made it the handmaid of millions. 

REFRIGERATION* 

Refrigeration, or air conditioning, has but recently come to 
the front as an equipment of essential importance in the erec- 
tion of modern motion picture theaters. Apparatus has been 
perfected that gives splendid results in maintaining a com- 
fortable temperature in theaters, regardless of weather con- 
ditions. Great progress has been made in refrigeration ma- 
chinery and methods. Such installations have been put to the 
most severe tests in various parts of the country, and have 
come up to the fullest expectations. Refrigeration has brought 
the realization that weather can be manufactured! In meet- 



306 MOTION PICTURE THEATER MANAGEMENT 



ing the demand for comfortable summer theaters, engineers 
have particularly sought the safety and the relief of patrons. 
Danger, moreover, from ammonia leaks or other perilous gases 
has been eliminated from the best equipment. 

Refrigeration has brought a new era for the motion pic- 
ture during the sweltering months. The manufacture of com- 
fortable weather has ceased to be an experiment. During the 
past two years the writer has installed the principle in almost 
a dozen theaters with remarkably fine results, bringing libera- 
tion to our theater patrons, as well as achieving splendid 
financial results. The good effect of this cannot be underesti- 
mated. It virtually establishes theater operation as a year 
round industry. Refrigeration has not only banished summer 
heat from the theater, but has proven to be a magnet for pa- 
tronage. People are attracted because the theater offers them 
refuge from unendurable heat. No matter how oppressively 
hot outdoors, it is comfortably cool and refreshing inside; and 
operation is given additional impetus in that a season that 
formerly meant indifferent patronage, is turned into a decided 
asset. Because of this outcome, producers and distributors 
will make available for theaters the finest productions, which 
will further accelerate business during the summer period. 
Hitherto they could not do so, because exhibitors were unable 
to pay good rentals. With really cool theaters, that situation 
will cease to exist. 

Within a few years every motion picture theater of impor- 
tance will be equipped with one or another cooling device. It 
cannot be long before every fine house will realize the ad- 
vantages to be obtained : that the new method is practical, and 
that it is profitable. It is quite logical that theaters should be 
cooled during hot weather, just as they are heated during the 
winter. Thus patrons continue to enjoy comfortable, humidi- 
fying warmth in the winter, and invigorating, low humidity 
coolness in the summer. 

At present the installation of the best plants is costly, par- 
ticularly in existing structures. The alterations make neces- 
sary a new system of insulated ducts for the delivery of air, 
as well as special chambers for the machinery, air washers, 



REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS 



307 



humidifiers, and other apparatus. When refrigeration is pro- 
vided for in the planning of a new theater, however, the 
cost is considerably less, varying in accordance with the size 
of the plant. In very large buildings it is sometimes necessary 
to install two sets of machines, one for normal operation, and 
the second for added needs when the place is taxed to capacity. 

Although there are several types of refrigeration machines, 
it is expedient to consider nothing but the very best apparatus, 
which may be seen in actual operation in some theater. The 
old compression machines, especially those utilizing ammonia 
as a refrigerant, are unsuitable because of danger of leakage 
or the accidental release of menacing fumes. 

Theater refrigeration is not entirely new, yet it has been 
brought under scientific control only recently. Apparatus is 
now available which is automatic and which will deliver into 
an auditorium air that is not only cool, but dry and crisp as 
a mountain breeze. This is brought about through refrigera- 
tion machinery and humidifying apparatus which controls the 
moisture as well as the temperature, which can be brought to 
any degree of either, and which can be placed under automatic 
thermostatic control. 

Modern refrigeration has ushered in a new and better 
method in ventilation generally, as well as air conditioning in 
theaters. The proper installation solves the entire problem, 
and scientifically controls the proper ventilation and tempera- 
ture. Such installations ventilate, humidify, and uniformly 
cool or heat the theater, as conditions require. 

The best type of installation is that which cleans and filters 
the air, establishes and controls the desired temperature and 
humidity, and diffuses the conditioned air uniformly through- 
out the theater. The situation of the theater, however, offers 
a technical problem, requiring the most expert engineering. 
The size and nature of the building, its overhanging balcony, 
the proscenium opening, make the problem of air condition- 
ing one of difficulty, and require experience and study to 
solve. The natural body heat of crowded theaters, and the 
rays from hundreds of electric lights must be counterbalanced 



308 MOTION PICTURE THEATER MANAGEMENT 



and eliminated during hot weather, and must be used in cold 
weather. 

The machinery must furthermore be installed so that it will 
not affect the decorations of the building, and must be entirely 
noiseless in operation. The system must be designed to elim- 
inate drafts, and to maintain uniform temperature and rela- 
tive humidity. 

While many theaters bring air into the interior through 
mushroom openings from the floor, and exhaust it from the 
ceiling, there are engineers who prefer the downward diffu- 
sion system. By this plan the air is introduced overhead, and 
is exhausted through openings in the floor. When it is brought 
in from above, it is free from impurities, having been through 
an air washer and conditioning machines, and having reached 
the breathing zone without contact with the dust and dirt on 
the floor. Uniform distribution of air, another desideratum, is 
secured through openings placed at such intervals as will bring 
the air to every part of the auditorium. 

Engineers who have specialized in theater refrigeration 
research have established certain facts which are now recog- 
nized and which are of interest : 

Heated air ascends. The greatest source of heat is the pa- 
trons of a theater. Each group of fifty persons radiates con- 
stantly a quantity of heat equivalent approximately to the heat 
emitted by the average steam radiator. In this way the plane 
of highest temperature in the theater is immediately above the 
heads of the audience. 

The downward diffusion system therefore meets every 
theoretical and practical requirement of the problem. Cool- 
ing and dehumidifying are produced by passing the air 
through chambers within which refrigerated water is sprayed. 
The air is delivered to the theater through the main ceiling 
under the balcony; hence the name, "downward diffusion 
method." The air is then exhausted through mushroom open- 
ings in the floor under the seats, and through grills at other 
low points of the house, whence it is taken to be rewashed, re- 
cooled, and mixed with a suitable portion of new air drawn 
in from the outside. 



REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS 



309 



The cooling air is admitted to the auditorium at a tempera- 
ture which is lower than the temperature that is to be main- 
tained in the occupant's zone, so that when it absorbs the 
natural body heat of the patrons and the heat from the lights, 
it reaches the desired temperature. Allowance must accord- 
ingly be made for sufficient cold air to compensate the body 
heat generated by as many as four or five thousand persons. 

The cooled air enters overhead and immediately absorbs the 
heat from most of the lights, which are also overhead. The 
slightly warmer, but still cool air is then diffused softly and 
evenly downward, being forced on by constantly new air com- 
ing through, until it meets the warmest plane, directly above 
the heads of the audience. Mingling with this warm air, the 
temperature of the downward stream is at once brought up to 
the desired temperature, and moves downward and is dis- 
charged through the mushroom exhaust openings in the floor 
under the seats. Thus the occupants of the chairs are at no 
times subjected to cold air, but to air of the right tempera- 
ture. The temperature is automatically controlled through 
thermostats which maintain the proper temperatures, in order 
to meet the changing conditions within the theater. Finally, 
a dehumidifier removes from the air all moisture, resulting in 
a fresh, invigorating atmosphere. 

The same principle described in the cooling of a theater is 
applicable in "heating" during cold weather. The scientifi- 
cally controlled air intake automatically cuts off the steam 
when the theater is likely to be overheated because of the body 
warmth of a crowded house. In that way a steady tempera- 
ture is maintained. By this system, the air is automatically 
warmed as the audience thins out, with consequent elimina- 
tion of body heat. 

The cost of the water consumed in the operation of re- 
frigeration plants is an item of importance; it is therefore 
recommended that a water tower be installed. Such an in- 
stallation makes possible the continued use of the same water. 
There is no wastage, except a very small percentage as the 
result of evaporation. 

Theater comfort means a temperature between seventy and 



310 MOTION PICTURE THEATER MANAGEMENT 



seventy-five degrees Fahrenheit, with air motion continuously. 
The theater which has a large lobby, such as the Paramount, 
therefore requires an independent apparatus to maintain the 
right degree in the foyer. In the Paramount Building there 
are thus three distinct cooling systems : one provides condi- 
tioned air to the lower floor, one to the balcony and the mez- 
zanine, and one to the Grand Lobby. All of these are sub- 
jected to one air-washer station located at a central point. 
More than 120,000 cubic feet per minute, or nearly thirty tons 
of washed, cooled air per hour, pass through the building. 
This circulation provides approximately 30 cubic feet of air 
per person per minute. To cool the water for the spray cham- 
bers, two units of centrifugal refrigeration are provided. Each 
of these machines has a tested capacity of 160 tons of refrig- 
eration every 24 hours. During intermediate seasons only 
one unit need be used. 

The weather plant not only cools the air, but removes every 
particle of dust and dirt. The patrons rest in a pleasant at- 
mosphere of about 70 degrees, while the cool air passes down 
over their bodies, first reaching the breathing zone and then 
gently enveloping them, with no sense of draught whatever, 
as it sinks to the floor and passes out to be rewashed or dis- 
charged. 

With refrigeration equipment, the ventilation problem is 
automatically eliminated, since every efficient refrigeration in- 
stallation takes into account the ventilation required. The aver- 
age theater is ventilated by bringing air through intake fans 
from the street, and exhausting it again. In more elaborate 
systems, plenum air chambers are equipped with either air 
washers or air filters, which remove the dust before it can be 
distributed into the theater. Fans force the air out of the air 
chamber into the theater, while exhaust fans force it out of the 
building, giving the air constant change and motion. The ex- 
tent of change of air volume is controlled by the speed of the 
fans. These are manipulated at the source, or through remote 
control placed either in the engineers' rooms or in the man- 
ager's office, as may be required. In this way the air is con- 
trolled to meet varying conditions. During the winter the air 



REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS 311 



from the washer is forced through a chamber of heating coils, 
which warm it to the desired temperature before it is released 
into the auditorium. 

In all ventilation installations it is important that air be 
distributed evenly throughout the theater, and that it be ex- 
hausted at a point that will insure proper air circulation over 
the greatest area. Some systems distribute air through mush- 
rooms under every other seat, as well as openings on the side 
walls, and exhaust the air from several points in the ceiling. 
Other methods distribute air through the ceilings and exhaust 
it through mushroom openings under the seats as well as on 
the side walls, when there are no floor openings. Either 
method is practical; but many newer installations prefer the 
overhead distribution. This is true particularly where refrig- 
eration is installed. Dry air filters are of good advantage in 
keeping the outside air free from dust and bacteria. Through 
the use of such strainers, air may be recirculated and cleaned. 

There can be no established formula for a standard venti- 
lation plan that would meet the requirements of every theater. 
Each one has its own ventilation problem, which should be 
prescribed for by a ventilation engineer. The whole subject is 
of utmost importance in the success of any amusement build- 
ing; and it is therefore extremely important to procure the 
most skilled advice obtainable. The movement is in the di- 
rection of this improvement, and I can see no reason why any- 
thing should halt it. 

The benefit to the public, as in the cases of music and light- 
ing, will be double — both direct and indirect. In the first place, 
the performance will be made more enjoyable as the body is 
made more easy; and open-air conditions, brought under roof, 
will profit by the elimination of interruptions by rain. In the 
second place, builders of mammoth apartment houses have 
been induced to supply tenants with temperature protection in 
summer as in winter. As the feature becomes more and more 
practicable commercially, it will extend to all domiciles re- 
gardless of rent standards. There is no reason for disbeliev- 
ing, for instance, that the philanthropists behind the move- 
ment for model tenements in poorer districts will be slow to 



312 MOTION PICTURE THEATER MANAGEMENT 



add the device. Some day, then, the rigors of the slums will 
disappear in August as they already have in December. Infant 
and adult mortality will decrease in measure; and once again 
the lives and the happiness of men in the aggregate will be 
grateful for the enterprise and the altruism of the motion pic- 
ture industry. 

OTHER MECHANICAL AIDS 

A current half-truth has it that ours is the age of the ma- 
chine. Such a statement is acceptable only after an inquiry 
into the mood that utters it. There are dyspeptics, for in- 
stance, who mouth this dictum as a sour assertion that we 
have become "slaves" of a new "tyrant." To evaluate this 
bitterness properly, one has only to picture some isolated 
farmer comfortably ensconced on his plow-tractor in June, or 
happily listening in on distant grand opera in lonely January. 
Of course, machinery needs tending. So did bows and arrows 
in the hunting ages of man, or sheep and crops in the agrarian, 
or looms and lasts in the early industrial. Men gave their 
time to such instruments then, as they do to the machine now 
— for a return that grew with each development. Nowadays 
the average machinist can speed over roads without horses, 
or listen to voices half a world away. In the old times, kings 
were content to support people who could tell them such things 
as fairy tales. 

If this is the age of the machine, it is more truly the age 
of man. Therein lies the whole point: we have an age of 
instruments because we are a race of users and wielders and 
creators. Any electrician who feels this is a potential king; 
any philosopher who denies this is a confessed slave. Ma- 
chinery is with us, and is not going to be scrapped. The big 
job for every one is to extend its use, perfect its function, 
and employ its advantages for the making of a safer, freer, 
happier existence for all. 

By the same token, our industry, though it employs ma- 
chines, is not a mechanical, but a human force. It derives its 
high function, not because it operates the projector, but be- 
cause it employs the projector, and employs it to supply great 
wants. We do not exhibit an apparatus to a gaping crowd. 



REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS 



313 



We throw pictures on a screen to solace their griefs, to re- 
lieve their tedium, to expand their possibilities of enjoyment 
and their desire to live and thrive. 

Now, it so happens that the projector, although the typical 
and essential device of the motion picture theater, is not the 
only one that may contribute to the broader purposes of sup- 
plying diversion to the public and profit to the management. 
What these are, the following pages will attempt to disclose : 

The discussion of this volume thus far has attempted to 
emphasize fundamentals necessary for management to control 
operations, accounting and statistics ; the organization and the 
service that will make satisfied patronage, and the duties of 
all departments and employees. Considerable progress in every 
one of these directions has been made through mechanical de- 
vices which help to give better service, and also to act as safe- 
guards in many instances. In any operation, mechanical in- 
struments that contribute to the general efficiency should be 
installed, because they contribute once more to efficiency in 
helping to economize. Such installations, in the first place, 
are appreciated by the public and are frequently the means of 
making the venture more profitable. However, they should 
not be installed when they take away the personal element 
of service. For example, a device that would automatically 
sell tickets to patrons, and in that way eliminate the cashier 
at the box office, with her smiling "Thank you!" would not 
be advisable. There are, on the other hand, various automatic 
machines which enhance service, and which should therefore 
be resorted to without hesitation. 

The engine and boiler room mechanical controls, for in- 
stance, may be used to good profit. They automatically stop 
engines when they have accomplished their purpose, and shut 
off or control the fire when sufficient steam has been developed. 
Devices of this type not only are safety appliances, but elimi- 
nate waste in fuel, water, and wear and tear on the plant. 

Automatic draughts save the labor of a man, beside keep- 
ing the steam pressure constant. When the firebox requires 
more draught, the control is opened of its own accord, until 
it has accomplished its purpose. Thermostats control the tern- 



314 MOTION PICTURE THEATER MANAGEMENT 



perature of the theater and the public rooms. They are placed 
in different parts of the theater and are set at a desired tem- 
perature; and these instruments control the apparatus which 
maintains the temperature. 

Registering devices indicate conditions automatically, and 
make it unnecessary for the engineer to leave his room to 
verify. Among such devices are pressure and temperature 
gauges, which register the pressure and temperature so that 
the engineer may accurately control his apparatus; and volt- 
meters which indicate the voltage being consumed, and make 
possible the keeping of valuable operation records. (Water 
meters have been treated at great length in Chapter XL) 

The highly developed cash register bookkeeping systems, 
and various counting machines and tabulating machines, in 
addition to all the mechanical devices of a modern office, are 
of use to a theater operation, where a great deal of detail is 
handled. Time stamps and record cards encourage punctu- 
ality by showing when employees come and go. When a 
theater has a large mailing list, addressing and stamping ma- 
chines are of time saving value. 

The signal seat indicator is a recent development that helps 
to handle large crowds more expeditiously and also to keep 
seats in use. This is a signal system consisting of a master 
indicator (Figure 33-B) which is presided over by the captain 
on the ground floor. Through panel stations placed on each 
floor, the captain is able to ascertain almost instantaneously 
how many vacant seats there may be in each aisle on each 
floor of the theater. Another panel station is located close 
to the box office as a guide to ticket selling. Ticket machines 
here help to register the number sold. Such machines are 
loaded with the tickets of the various price denominations, and 
discharge them by means of buttons pressed by the cashier. 
Similarly change machines help to give the right change. 
These are similar to the ones used in banks, and deliver exact 
coin change by the manipulation of buttons controlled, again, 
by the cashier. 

Synchronizing devices time the music to the speed of the 
projection machines. These are clocks which register the 



REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS 315 



speed of the projection machine. When film is screened for 
music at a certain rate of speed, it is projected at that rate. 
Signal devices establish immediate contacts between the stage 
and the projection room and the manager's office. Dicto- 
graphs and automatic 'phones help to speed communication 
among department heads. One of the large organ manufac- 
turers has devised a mechanical attachment that faithfully 
produces the playing of artist organists. While writing this 
book, experiments are being made with a reproducing device 
that may accompany a motion picture, making an orchestra 
unnecessary. There are many others that may be of great or 
little value to operation, and management must use judgment 
in their selection. 

The "loud speaker," a public address system, may come into 
use for the purpose of transmitting musical features from the 
stage to patrons waiting in the lobby and lounge rooms. Such 
an installation is in the Paramount Theatre in New York. 
A new development in "loud speakers" reproduces music more 
successfully than heretofore. Except for the lack of the per- 
sonality of the performer, the reproduction is perfect. It also 
reproduces from a record similar to that of a phonograph. 

In recent years there has been considerable development in 
connection with stage equipment which helps to make the 
presentation more effective, and which also results in greater 
efficiency. A valuable aid is the orchestra pit elevator, which 
brings the orchestra up to the stage level by means of a lift. 
When orchestras are featured, this appliance gives patrons a 
better view of the players. A similar apparatus raises and 
lowers the organ console and the organist as well. Stage 
floors, too, may be placed on elevators, which saves time and 
labor for quick scene changes. 

The counter-weight rigging system makes possible the quick 
handling of scenic drops, and one can do the work which for- 
merly required three. The remote control stage switchboard 
(Figure 6) operates all the lights on the stage and in the the- 
ater, through a compact system of buttons, requiring one 
operator, with the switching apparatus located in the basement. 

The installation of a mechanical contrivance is justified only 



316 MOTION PICTURE THEATER MANAGEMENT 

when its use either increases efficiency or reduces cost, pro- 
viding it does not lower existing standards. A device, for 
example, that would indicate to patrons the vacant seats, with 
the idea of the patrons' finding their own way, would not be 
in harmony with the true service expected from a first-class 
theater. 

Present mechanical machines, wonderful as they are — prob- 
ably give only a faint idea as to the development that may be 
expected in the future. Management should always be re- 
ceptive and on the alert in this regard, if only to keep abreast 
of ideal conditions. 



CHAPTER XXXII 



Law Pertaining to Theaters 



S an institution of semi-public character, the theater is 



subject to government and therefore in many respects 



is controlled by law, Local ordinances prescribe 
minima for protection of various sorts, state laws set the age 
restriction for admittance or employment of minors, and the 
general statutes by which commerce is ruled apply to our 
business as to others. Similarly, a theater, in its public or 
private relations, has rights which it should decidedly main- 
tain in the face of any attempt at deprivation. In other words, 
operation may be at tangents with law from a variety of an- 
gles ; and the wisest way to handle the relationship is to look 
upon it as a reality, make room for it in policy, and employ it 
to every possible advantage. 

There are a great many old-fashioned, narrow-gauge busi- 
ness men who would either decry or laugh at such a procedure. 
Cock-sure of their ability to administer their own affairs, rest- 
less of an expense they deem unnecessary, superstitious in the 
matters of going to court or confiding trade secrets to an out- 
sider, they bungle the matter of legal advice in a variety of 
ways. Sometimes they pursue the method of burying the head 
in the sand, till the tail-feathers are set afire. That is, they 
ignore a plain condition until emergency sends them running to 
the councilor's door. Very often, this eleventh hour change 
of heart comes too late for any good. Even when the adept 
lawyer can save something from the mess, his success is only 
part of what it might have been, had he been summoned earlier. 

It stands to reason that, in any regard into which financial 
gain or loss may enter, the ordinary course of common sense 
would dictate organization for economy and profit. Just as 
in the case of budgeting, or stock-keeping, the exigencies or 




317 



318 MOTION PICTURE THEATER MANAGEMENT 



the possibilities of law all come down to dollars and cents. 
What difference does the medium or the method make? 
Finance is finance, whether it involves a leaky pipe, an over- 
paid personnel, a faulty shipment, or a breach of contract. 
If another's fraud against us were never to cost us a loss, 
would it be a matter for prosecution for damages? 

To put it into a nut-shell, a theater should have a lawyer, 
not necessarily retained, perhaps, but looking upon the house 
as his client. He will thus tend to put his best at its service. 
In the course of time he will become sufficiently acquainted 
with its needs to offer counsel readily, and even sound con- 
structive advice. From the moment he examines the title of 
the site, to the day he directs the closing of the sale of the 
venture, he may be of service pretty constantly, and in a wide 
variety of ways. He may not merely defend against suit, or 
prosecute against fraud, but may make clear a dubious clause 
in an insurance policy, or propose alterations of contract in 
engaging personnel. In view of what he may save the house 
momentarily, his fee can safely be looked upon as a reasonable 
investment. 

Yet his financial function is not the sole one. Very often, 
as a third person, he can secure information or bring about an 
arbitration better than the party to the dispute. He can, and 
almost always does settle litigation out of court, and is thus 
an effective agent of public relations that should be managed 
privately. The theater, as an institution in the public eye, 
sensitive to opinion in extraordinary degree, has need of this 
sort of agency to prevent publicity of the sort upon which 
criticism may seize with unfavorable unfairness. 

I trust that the reader will not misunderstand me in this 
regard. If I urge the utility of the lawyer here with some 
emphasis, it is because his possibilities have not been taken 
advantage of by many hit-or-miss operators, and not because 
I feel him to be an active, prominent, essential feature of the 
theater — like a projectionist, for example, or a musician, or 
an usher. Simply, there is a field for him in all industry; 
and management should be fortified and guided here as else- 
where. 



LAW PERTAINING TO THEATERS 319 



Prevention is naturally the best cure in most legal problems. 
Therefore management should understand its legal relation- 
ship to the public and to employees. However, the best guide 
in all such matters is a good lawyer. He can prevent diffi- 
culties if his advice is sought when matters of importance are 
about to be decided. Every theater management of extent is 
guided by a reputable attorney whose advice frequently is a 
safeguard against entanglements. Many good lawyers do not 
see the inside of a court room. Needless to add, neither do 
their clients. 

The law defines the rights and responsibilities of theater 
operation, and likewise those of the patron. The manage- 
ment must be sure that such rights are safeguarded in the 
interests of true service, and whenever there is a latitude of 
a doubt, should decide in favor of the public. Theaters are 
operated in consideration of the audience, and management 
need not look to law for guidance in this direction. Business 
policy dictates the spirit that managements should have toward 
the trade, and if such a policy is carried through, the people 
can never have cause for resentment. When a patron has a 
complaint, it is good policy always to make every effort to 
comply with his wishes. If nothing else can satisfy him, the 
manager should never hesitate to refund the price of admis- 
sion. Frequently a patron protests because he cannot get a 
seat promptly. On such occasions a refund is most desirable 
if nothing else will serve to satisfy. 

The management may, on the other hand, regulate the con- 
duct of patrons to prevent any form of misconduct, offensive to 
good taste or likely to bring the theater into disrepute. It 
follows that any one who violates the regulations, or refuses 
to pay for admission, or becomes obnoxious, intoxicated, dis- 
orderly, or annoying, may be excluded, provided no unlaw- 
ful means or excessive force is used to accomplish the removal. 

Under the United States Constitution and State statutes, 
all persons are entitled to full and equal enjoyment of admit- 
tance to any public place, subject only to reasonable regula- 
tions by the management, applicable alike to citizens of every 
creed, race, or color. In addition to creating a right of action 



320 MOTION PICTURE THEATER MANAGEMENT 



for damaging the individual, refusal of admission is a public 
offense, which may be punished by indictment and fine. Vari- 
ous States have various regulations in this respect, but with- 
out exception the Court has no jurisdiction beyond fulfilling 
the statute in that connection. Therefore, the theater man- 
agement is under legal obligation to admit all unobjectionable 
persons, so long as there is accommodation for them, and they 
pay the price of admission. 

Management is liable for articles checked by the patron. 
There is no liability, however, for loss of a wallet, money, 
or other valuable which may be left in the pocket of a coat, 
unless specific notice of their presence has been made by the 
patron. The management is likewise liable for damage to 
wearing apparel, when the injury is caused by the negligence 
of employees in the conduct of their duties. 

The relation between management and employee is that 
of master and servant. The general rule makes the former 
responsible for any accident caused by the latter, if such an 
event takes place in the course of the employment, and is 
not caused by willful carelessness or improper conduct on the 
part of the employee. The management must therefore use 
reasonable care to prevent injury or accident, but is not liable 
beyond the principles applicable to the law of negligence. 
The law of the State governs actions for damages on account 
of personal injuries. Workmen's Compensation Acts require 
payment of compensation to personnel when injuries are sus- 
tained during employment. "Contributory Negligence" on the 
part of an employee, or a plea of a reasonable care on the part 
of employer, do not abrogate liability of the latter under such 
circumstances. 

Employers who contract for services obligate themselves to 
furnish employment. They are therefore liable, even though 
they discontinue their business temporarily or permanently, 
or though the business is forced to discontinue through fire 
or some other unforeseen act. The contract may however 
protect the employer against such contingencies ; and in such 
event, there is no further liability on his part. An actual 
tender of one's services is not necessary when the employer 



LAW PERTAINING TO THEATERS 321 



refuses to continue employment. The type of service also 
depends upon the contract entered into. A person engaged 
for a position requiring more than ordinary skill is not obliged 
to undertake a menial service, and may insist upon perform- 
ing only in the position contracted for. If the contract pro- 
vides that the duties be rendered in a specific place or locality, 
the employee is not required to perform them elsewhere. There 
is an implied obligation that the employee serve honestly and 
faithfully, during such time and hours as the business may 
require. The right to wages does not depend upon perform- 
ance of services ; substantial performance is all that is required, 
and it makes no difference whether the employer derived value 
from the services or not. 

Many States regulate the engaging of minors. Such regu- 
lations prohibit or limit the employment where children are 
under a definite age, in specified occupations, or where the 
child's morals may be impaired. In some States it is unlaw- 
ful to employ children under a certain age without employ- 
ment certificates. In New York and many other States, the- 
aters are prohibited from employing children under fourteen 
years of age. There are also other prohibitions against em- 
ploying (a) females under sixteen years of age in a position 
which compels standing; (b) the employment of a female 
within four weeks after childbirth; (c) a lack of seats provided 
for female employees. These provisions are all subject to 
regulation by the Department of Labor. 

Any employee w T ho finds lost property is entitled to that 
property if it is not claimed by the owner. It has been held, 
however, that w T hen a passenger leaves a public conveyance, 
forgetting to take a package with him, it is not lost property, 
and the operating company becomes the custodian. The same 
principles would no doubt be applicable to theater operation, 
which would therefore be bound to protect the property of 
patrons. 

An employee is only the agent of the employer to the ex- 
tent or scope of his authority, and only when acting in the 
capacity of his employment. His responsibility is not fixed 
by any general rule, the authority being determined by sur- 



322 MOTION PICTURE THEATER MANAGEMENT 



rounding circumstances. Unless the acts of an employee are 
authorized, or established by a written routine of employment, 
or ratified by the employer, the employee is not responsible. 

State and municipal regulations for the prevention of fire 
vary in different communities. (See Chapters VI and XI for 
related details.) 

Municipal regulations likewise govern the operation of taxi- 
cabs and control the space alongside the curb adjacent to the- 
ater property. They also regulate the parking of cars. 

The dealings between theater operators and tradesmen are 
by express or implied contract, as is the case in any other 
business. The contract on the part of the operator is made 
personally or by an agent. Express contracts are those in 
which the transaction is stated in writing or orally. An im- 
plied contract is not expressed, but is presumed by law from 
the acts of the parties. There must be a consideration of some 
kind to make a valid and enforceable contract, but this need 
not be in money ; it may be based upon mutual advantages. A 
contract may be voided because of fraud, duress or undue 
influence. Such contracts are unlikely in the ordinary course 
of theater operation. Yet a vaudeville act may represent them- 
selves as well known; if they are not, their contract may be 
voided because of fraud. 

Contracts that violate some existing law or statute, or which 
are in restraint of trade, are illegal. Such possibilities, how- 
ever, are not usual in arrangements made between theater 
operators and tradesmen. It is nevertheless of value to under- 
stand what is known as the statute of frauds, which is a statu- 
tory provision enacted in most States. It provides that "if 
agreement, promise or understanding, by its terms is not to 
be performed within one year from its making, or is a special 
promise to answer for the debt, default or miscarriage of an- 
other person, or is for the sale of goods of the value of more 
than $50.00, unless it, or some notes or memoranda thereof, 
be in writing or subscribed by the party to be held liable there- 
for, or by his lawful agent" — such a contract covering the 
foregoing within the statute of frauds must be so clearly 



LAW PERTAINING TO THEATERS 323 



expressed in writing, and without abbreviation of description 
or terms, that it is not ambiguous, is readily understood, and 
requires no oral explanation of any of its terms. If the 
slightest testimony is required to explain the terms of the con- 
tract, it is void. 

Care must be taken in dealing with so-called agents, to 
ascertain just what constitutes their authority; otherwise, the 
principal may void the contract as not made by him. In mak- 
ing contracts for the rental of motion pictures, the document 
is not effective unless approved by the home office of the dis- 
tribution. This is common practice in the trade. 

The mention of distribution harks back to what I said in 
Chapter XXIV in regard to the lawyer as arbitrator between 
this branch of the industry and operation. The value of his 
services here has already been demonstrated in more ways 
than one. As a kind of agent, he saves time. As an expert, 
he saves money. As a third party, he saves friction; and as 
a quasi- judicial figure within the industry, he saves loss of 
esteem from the washing of dirty linen in the public courts. 
Moreover, as the result of continued practice, a kind of tech- 
nique of arbitration is being evolved from recorded precedent. 
When one considers how overburdened the civil judiciary are 
by congested calendars, it is easy to see that private disposi- 
tion contributes the enormous advantages of quick action and 
amiable outcome. 

For the smaller unit, the attorney has equal function in the 
proper degree. He can eliminate the wrangling which is well- 
nigh inevitable when disputants come face to face. The other 
party is usually more restrained and less unreasonable when 
conversing with a legal representative than when arguing with 
the person against whom he has a grievance. Then, too, the 
legal presence has a way of checking undue confidence, or de- 
terring those who become aware of weakness in their posi- 
tion. Finally, because of his contact with professional publi- 
cations, the lawyer knows of new statutes or decisions which 
may have meaning for his client. He may thus save the latter 
from unwitting violation, or prompt him to take advantage 



324 MOTION PICTURE THEATER MANAGEMENT 



of a newly decreed right. Can there be any doubt that a 
wide-awake friend of this sort, militant in one's advantage, is 
a person to be cultivated ? 

Let me repeat, however, my caution of Chapter XXIV: 
No expert advisor is to be leaned upon entirely. A specialist 
is an instrument, not a crutch. There are some legal situations 
in which the operator should take guidance from an insurance 
company; and some policies will almost obviate the need of 
any but passing caution from the friendly lawyer. Manage- 
ment should learn to listen, but never forget to manage. 

The same procedure, therefore, is like sane procedure any- 
where at any time : Moderation. Balance your needs against 
your prospects. Don't tell yourself you can get along without 
a lawyer. You know you can't. Don't run to him with every 
detail, like a young mother with her first baby.- The direct- 
ing principle is your own interest — as much or as little law 
as may be adequate and profitable. 



CHAPTER XXXIII 



The Public: Good Will and Ethics 

THE old saw, "Keep your ear to the ground" has an 
interesting little side-phase, if one is willing to be 
imaginative for a moment. It seems to raise old 
Mother Earth to the personality of an informant or an ad- 
visor. Coming back to industry again, let us by the same 
token reconsider the part played by our guests. How can 
we keep our ear to the ground in our own pasture ? 

For the public is really the most important expert of all. 
It is an authority on what it wants, to begin with; and it is 
the final judge in that regard. For one thing, as I pointed 
out in a very early chapter, it doesn't want "high brow stuff." 
The result? No high brow stuff. It doesn't want to see 
pictures acted by people whose conduct is scandalous. The 
result ? Is there any need to state it ? 

Such pressure cannot be exerted entirely in a negative fash- 
ion. It is true that mere lack of patronage or falling off 
of attendance is not directly expressive. Furthermore, if 
people do not applaud a thrilling scene or laugh at a comic 
one, the criticism is obviously impassive. Yet, though pres- 
sure by negation exists, and is powerful, there are more direct 
ways in which patrons get their wishes known. 

They are not always — they are rarely — unresponsive in some 
way. They very frequently applaud, for instance, or rock 
the house with vocal mirth. Tragic situations produce the 
sounds of sympathetic weeping. The swift intake of many 
breaths is better than clapping as a praise of some realistic 
representation of peril. Even in the darkened auditorium, the 
astute manager, with his "ear to the ground," can catch posi- 
tive reflections of the moods of his audience. And his eyes, 
accustomed to the dimness, can tell at a glance whether whole 

325 



326 MOTION PICTURE THEATER MANAGEMENT 



masses of patrons are raptly attentive, or bored to sleep or con- 
versation. Patronage may know it or not, but management 
is advised. 

Especially is this so after the performance, when the crowd 
streams across the lighted lobby, clear to view. If there are 
repeated commendations, or even comments, the film has 
pleased, or at least interested. If the patrons seem merely 
wearied, or in a hurry to get away, or resentful — something 
is wrong. Perhaps there will even be a few direct complaints, 
spoken to or audible to the doorman, the captain, an usher. Do 
not overlook these. The public is conferring its expert ad- 
vice, free of charge — if not free of possible loss or profit! 

The same is valid in connection with service, equipment, 
or any other element. If a patron speaks angrily to an usher 
- — why? If he comments sarcastically about the absence of 
drinking cups in the container — look out ! And look out espe- 
cially for the anger that is repressed, the sarcasm that only 
the eyes speak. The public is denoting or hinting a price- 
less appraisal. Some one should be there to listen, to see, to 
remember, to correct. Contrarily, a pleasant smile, a word of 
thanks, mean that the patron is delighted with the service or 
some other feature. Management should approve as keenly 
as the opposite, and check up in favor of the element that 
produced it. 

Similarly, the house should note its external relations with 
an eagle eye to advantage. In the operation of theaters, 
management is brought in contact with many different business 
institutions as well as organizations of civic and social caliber; 
and its contact with the public of course is of great impor- 
tance. 

The motion picture theater is the most representative build- 
ing in many communities and probably entertains within its 
walls more persons than repair to any other. Over 47,000,000 
persons attend picture shows every week in the United States. 
With such responsibility, its duty and obligation to the public 
is quite clear. Those who are privileged to operate theaters 
have within their power the handling of an instrument of 
great possibilities for good. The motion picture can be made 
an agent of untold community value, if guided intelligently 



THE PUBLIC: GOOD WILL AND ETHICS 327 



and controlled by persons who recognize their moral respon- 
sibility. 

All this should be an influence affecting the dignity of the 
motion picture theater. Since these houses are everywhere 
contributory to the welfare of their communities, it cannot be 
denied that there is a certain dignity and importance to the pro- 
fession of theater management. It should continue to be gov- 
erned by the highest ideals of American business. Therefore 
the social and industrial activity of the house is of great im- 
portance in the community. 

The relationship that a theater has with its employees, with 
the public, or with those it comes in contact with in a com- 
mercial sense, is guided by its executives. No business can 
continue to be successful unless its management is certified 
by the highest ideals and is inspired by the highest ethics. 
A great deal has been said and written about business ethics 
and high idealism in our contacts; and that is good, because 
to aim high is the first step in hitting the mark. 

Business associations throughout the country have contrib- 
uted much to bringing a higher fairness to business; and an 
industry involving the operation of theaters, particularly be- 
cause of its contact with public opinion, can profit much by 
being guided by this elevated standard. Every one connected 
with operation is under obligation, not only to himself, but to 
the entire industry, to bring discredit to the industry in no 
way. Culpable action of the individual is a reflection against 
the entire group. As a business grows bigger and of greater 
importance, its method of operation develops a higher stand- 
ard. In every field there are a few who are ready to disregard 
the established standard for personal gain. Such unethical 
procedure is a menace, not only to the welfare of theater opera- 
tion, but to that of any industry. The leaders owe it to them- 
selves, in the interests of self-preservation, to do what they 
can to enforce the practice of the golden rule — do as you 
would be done by. No mercantile transaction is moral unless 
both parties to the act profit. Eventually there will be one 
or more associations in the industry of theater operation that 
will be empowered to establish a written code, which will guide 
the veterans as well as the new entrants. Such associations 



328 MOTION PICTURE THEATER MANAGEMENT 



will help to keep the industry in the proper light before the 
public and to secure its warm support in enforcing meritorious 
standards. The production and distributing phases of the 
motion picture industry have already accomplished much under 
the splendid guidance of Will H. Hays, and a great deal may 
be expected from future development in the same direction. 

A code of ethics is not a set of rules, but should rather be 
looked upon as a creed: something that we are privileged to 
carry out. It is up to the leaders in this industry to point the 
way in giving the highest standing to their business, because 
an industry generally derives its methods from those who are 
high up. The guidance of unselfish leadership will emphasize 
the very important part that the operation of theaters plays 
among people elsewhere — that in order to continue to enjoy 
the support and respect of the public, the industry must be 
conducted on integrity, confidence, service above self, and bene- 
fit to all. 

The relation of the theater to the public, and its responsibil- 
ity to its patrons, must be recognized by management, in the 
fulfilling of all obligations to its audience, and in maintain- 
ing a standard of operation respecting all laws and regulations 
in such style as to prevent unfavorable criticism. There never 
can be the least excuse for misrepresentation in advertising, 
no matter how slight, and every effort must be made to in- 
spire favorable publicity from every possible channel. 

Management should keep in close contact with every civic 
organization through membership, taking an active part in its 
affairs and also cooperating with every worthwhile civic, 
social and business event. The Chamber of Commerce, 
Rotary, Kiwanis, Lions and other local associations are brought 
in close touch with theaters because of events which they ar- 
range periodically. Every valid public undertaking should be 
supported whole-heartedly. Management will use every pos- 
sible means to advance the interests of theater operations, 
and create the best understanding of this business. Such ac- 
tive contacts will do much to make friends and to be of ma- 
terial value in attacking attempts at unfair legislation. In re- 
cent years those in public office have shown a fuller apprecia- 
tion of the important niche the motion picture theater fills in 



THE PUBLIC: GOOD WILL AND ETHICS 329 



community life. Those within the industry have demonstrated 
that they can conduct their business without outside inter- 
ference, and the spread of censorship regulations has been ar- 
rested and found unnecessary. 

Unfair and unjust taxation has been eliminated in every 
State except one, and the Federal Government recognized the 
essential necessity of the motion picture, by early withdrawal 
of war time taxation. 

In conclusion, and at the risk of being dubbed a sentimen- 
talist, I have one summarizing admonition, or perhaps plea, 
to address to the individual manager. I realize that what I 
have to say is liable to misconstruction, oversight, or even 
ridicule. Yet I am emboldened to speak for the sake of those 
whose insight and character will give my words the proper 
response, and for the sake of a great, though simple truth. 

I have repeatedly urged the manager to take advantage of 
every possible adjunct of success, within or without his walls, 
within or without himself. I have urged the utilization of 
publicity, of service, of budgets, of lighting, of music, of 
advice. I have pointed out his individual resources — intelli- 
gence, effort, efficiency. 

He has still one more organ of equipment to which I have 
not called his focused attention. He has a heart. He is hu- 
man. He wants others to treat him well, not only because 
there's money in it, but because it makes him happy. Well, then 
— let him go and do likewise. The operator who, deep down 
in his emotions, has a sympathy and an affection for the thou- 
sands who throng his gates, who feels for their longing to 
play and to relish life, who respects their innate wish to be 
respected and dealt with fairly — there's the man whom fate 
has marked with a star. 

He need not be a silly fool, flinging his competence to the 
gutter. If he is, his service is limited by his folly. He may, 
indeed be as shrewd and acute as the next, with a time for 
his ledgers and his inspections just as surely as for the joy 
of his guests. The more practical he, the surer his extent and 
usefulness of service. 

But if, like any healthy child of God's bounty, he knows 
that he has a heart that enjoys pleasure in its own way, he 



330 MOTION PICTURE THEATER MANAGEMENT 



will seek to give it full enough swing to enrich his own life 
as nature urges. And such a man, moved at times with a 
sane love of his fellow men, needs no urgence to ethics, no 
light to good will. He will develop the one in his daily acts; 
he will draw the other as the North Star holds the trembling 
needle of the magnet steadily in a line that points always one 
way. 

It may be said that a man like this is born, that he is not 
made ; that no human power, including his own, can change 
the constitution of personality. My own answer is that there 
is no man who in some measure does not match the descrip- 
tion. There is no mortal without some degree of group feel- 
ing in his bosom. If anything, kindliness is more universal 
than brains; and if the potentialities of the latter may be ma- 
tured to greater richness, why, so can the better emotions be 
mellowed by willingness and self -study and effort and time. 
If it is possible for people who are inimical at first, to become 
friends after a while, then it is possible for a hard-headed 
business man to become fond of those who contribute to his 
success. Let him regard them earnestly, see their merits, un- 
derstand their hungers, and he will come to a wish, in the 
end, to serve them because he likes them. He will be as loyal 
to them as they are to him. 

However, whether from impulse, or from calculation, or 
from both, he must never cease to study and to cater to them. 
In them he finds the occasion of his existence as a business 
man, his prosperity as a man among his fellows. Their needs 
are his, their preferences must be his, their instincts must be 
his responsibility to unearth, examine, gratify, direct. From 
them he can learn much negatively and positively, directly and 
indirectly. They can be his soundest advisors, his surest, 
though his least vocal guides. He can never learn too much 
from them, never enough. If he lived one hundred years, 
the babes of the newest generation could lesson him still. 
They — the people — are the basis of his industry. And if he 
is wise — and if he is big-hearted — let him "keep his ear to the 
ground !" 



Part VII 
Conclusion 



CHAPTER XXXIV 



The Paramount Theatre and Building 
O undertaking in connection with the motion picture 



can give the reader a better idea of the progress of this 



industry than the completion of the Paramount The- 
atre and Building. It was conceived by Adolph Zukor, whose 
leadership established the Paramount Famous Lasky Com- 
pany into one of the principal factors of the fourth industry 
of the country. This theater and building stands to-day at 
Times Square, New York City, fittingly called "The Cross- 
roads of the World," as a monument to Adolph Zukor and 
his associates. The Paramount as a theater is conclusive; 
it is truly one of the world's super-theaters, not only in archi- 
tectural treatment and appointments, but in its service, atmos- 
phere and location. 

To the casual observer it would seem that a miracle had been 
wrought in the building of the Paramount Theatre. It was 
in November, 1925, that the drills began boring into the solid 
rock for the foundation of this magnificent structure. Within 
twelve months, on November 19, 1926, the Paramount The- 
atre, as a completed project with every department functioning 
to its fullest extent, its organization complete, opened its doors 
to the public. Truly an unusual feat — to complete this, one 
of the finest of all theaters, with its four thousand seats, in so 
short a time. Toward its accomplishment, the architects, 
C. W. and Geo. L. Rapp, and R. E. Hall & Company, engi- 
neers, spent over four years with the writer, studying, plan- 
ning and erecting the structure. 

Some years ago, Mr. Zukor conceived the idea of erect- 
ing a fitting home for Paramount on Broadway, and the Put- 
nam site was purchased with that end in view. As the plans 
for proceeding with this project matured, and because of more 




333 



334 MOTION PICTURE THEATER MANAGEMENT 



important affairs, which required Mr. Zukor's attention, it 
became impossible for him to give this project the time neces- 
sary to handle the details. This work was turned over to a 
building committee, of which I was so fortunate as to be elected 
chairman. 

The committee engaged C. W. and Geo. L. Rapp as archi- 
tects because of their experience in the field of theater archi- 
tecture. Many plans and designs were rejected before the final 
plan was accepted. In addition to the ultimate drawings, a 
scale model of the theater was built, complete to the smallest 
details. This was studied carefully, with the result of many 
effective changes. 

The financing was arranged by Mr. Adolph Zukor and in- 
volved an underwriting of ten million dollars. The value of 
the completed building, together with the land, exceeds six- 
teen and a half million dollars. It is interesting to note, and 
it is a great tribute to Mr. Zukor and the Paramount Famous 
Lasky Corporation, that the underwriting was undertaken by 
Kuhn, Loeb & Company. Up to the present, it represents the 
only real estate mortgage bond issue that has ever been under- 
taken by this international banking house. 

The Paramount Theatre and Building has since become a 
famous landmark. It dominates Broadway from Madison 
Square to beyond Columbus Circle. Its architecture and height 
are such that the building stands apart from all other struc- 
tures. As one approaches Times Square, the dominance of 
the Paramount Theatre and Building arrest the attention of 
the observer. The architecture is that of the French Renais- 
sance period, the lower five stories being of Indiana limestone, 
carved in heavy relief. The structure occupies the entire 
block on Broadway between Forty-third and Forty-fourth 
Streets, and is forty stories in height. The upper part of the 
building towers skyward in eight set-backs, and is a good ex- 
ample of modern architectural treatment influenced by the 
zoning act, which governs the erection of high buildings in 
the City of New York. At night, these set-backs are illumi- 
nated with more than one thousand indirect reflectors, creating 
an unusual and attractive effect. 



THE PARAMOUNT THEATRE AND BUILDING 335 



On top of the tower is a huge illuminated glass globe about 
twenty feet in diameter, signifying the world conquest by the 
motion picture, and topping the entire structure. This globe 
is illuminated at night. When the hour strikes in the tower 
clock, the white light will leap out and a red light will flash the 
hour. There also is a system by which different colored light- 
ing may be flashed for specific events, such as to announce 
results at elections. This light can be seen for a radius of 
many miles. 

Huge illuminated tower clocks are placed on each side of 
the tower, approximately four hundred feet above the side- 
walk. An observation tower with north and south balconies, 
enclosed in glass, is provided on the top set-back. The view 
from this height at night is most unusual and of intense in- 
terest. The tower is reached through the office building en- 
trance. 

The fagade of the building from the floor to the tower is 
faced with a smooth-surface buffed brick, with copings, cor- 
nices, and ornaments of Indiana limestone. Of special in- 
terest is the unusual treatment of the back or stage wall on 
Forty-fourth Street which, breaking away from traditional 
practice of severe and plain treatment, has in this case been 
treated architecturally, and through the use of handsomely 
carved Indiana limestone and bronze frames, has resulted in a 
wall of very attractive design and utility, enhancing the ap- 
pearance of the street, rather than depreciating it. The en- 
trance of the theater is emphasized by an arch five stories in 
height, built in with glass and illuminated indirectly from a 
carved stone frame. A magnificent bronze marquise elec- 
trically lighted shelters the entrance itself. The details of this 
lobby remind one of the craftmanship of the old masters who 
wrought their designs patiently on the anvil. It prepares one 
for the beauty to be revealed after passing through. Electric 
signs with changeable lettering for changing attractions are 
built into the marquise. No upright signs are erected on the 
building, which is a departure from the usual custom. In con- 
trast to the great number of electric signs, this building stands 



336 MOTION PICTURE THEATER MANAGEMENT 



out in its magnificent simplicity. In fact, because of the ab- 
sence of signs, it becomes all the more prominent. 

Bronze frames on both sides of the theater entrance for an- 
nouncements may be lighted in three colors, working on dim- 
mers if necessary. Different colors are used to emphasize the 
art posters. The box office of bronze is in the center of the 
door-ways, and two additional box offices in the ticket lobby 
make possible the handling of large crowds. 

As you enter through the front door, you are faced by a 
semicircular colonnade of strikingly veined marble columns, 
supported on a black and gold marble base. This marble base 
is approximately one story in height, and above this is a hemi- 
spherical dome of gold, the top of which is fifty feet above 
the floor. The opposite side of this room is formed by a 
tremendous glass window opening to the street. . A gorgeous 
bronze and crystal chandelier hangs from the center of the 
highly ornamented dome, and is supplemented by smaller chan- 
deliers between the columns and brackets of similar design. 
In daytime this lobby is bright with sunlight; while at night, 
passers-by on Times Square are attracted by the brilliancy of 
the lighted room as seen through the giant pane. Color is 
added by the hangings between the columns and at the window. 

Passing through the entrance doors, one finds oneself in 
the Hall of Nations. From this a stairway of marble and 
bronze leads to the upper floors. On the opposite side of the 
room there is laid in the wall a collection of stones from vari- 
ous parts of the world, thirty-seven in all, which were col- 
lected through the Foreign division department of the Para- 
mount Corporation. Each of these stones has a special sig- 
nificance. In many cases they were officially presented by the 
Governments of the foreign countries. The story of each 
stone is told in an interesting manner by means of bronze tab- 
lets and descriptions. The stones themselves are particularly 
significant because of the evidence they show of the interest 
which the erection of this building created in foreign countries, 
and especially among the employees of Paramount Famous 
Lasky Corporation in far-off lands. In this Hall is located the 
Information Bureau, a new feature in theater operation. It is 



FIGURE 34 

Auditorium, Paramount Theater 



THE PARAMOUNT THEATRE AND BUILDING 337 



felt that this Bureau has become of as much importance to 
the public as in other institutions, such as great railway ter- 
minals, since a large proportion of the Paramount Theatre 
patrons are transient visitors to the city. 

A feature of the Hall of Nations is a bronze plaque of 
Thomas A. Edison, who invented the motion picture film, 
the camera, and the kinescope — the foundation on which the 
motion picture industry was built. 

Through a broad archway one now gets a vista of the Grand 
Hall, which is one hundred and fifty feet long, and forty-five 
feet wide, with a ceiling height of fifty feet. The dome ceil- 
ing is supported by massive marble columns. At the opposite 
end is a grand stairway of marble, widening up to the mez- 
zanine landings. Located on this stair landing is a marble 
fountain, which serves as the base of a fine piece of sculpture. 
Behind the stairway are located the elevators which are ar- 
ranged to carry passengers to all levels of the theater. 

The bases of the columns rest on the mezzanine floor. From 
the mezzanine down, the entire room is lined with Breche-Cen- 
tella marble, with panels framed in black and gold marble. 
In order to secure the quantity of the marble required, it was 
necessary to open up a quarry in Italy that had been closed for 
forty years. At one side of this Hall there are exit doors open- 
ing to Forty-third Street; on the opposite side are the open- 
ings to the orchestra foyer. These openings are fitted with 
massive bronze gates. Above and between the columns, mez- 
zanine floors form balconies which overlook the Grand Hall. 
Four bronze and crystal chandeliers are the principal source of 
illumination, supplemented by brackets of harmonizing design. 

The ceiling is ornamented with a center panel represent- 
ing "The Spirit of Light." The center of interest is a blaz- 
ing golden sun, from which emerge allegorical figures of four 
horses of gold, forming in clouds of gold. The sky blends 
(at both ends) into a deep blue, from which jeweled stars twin- 
kle. Decorative panels on either end, and heavily ornamented 
gold panels, complete the frame of the ceiling. 

A lounging room for ladies and gentlemen in the basement 
is reached from either end of the Grand Hall through marble 



338 MOTION PICTURE THEATER MANAGEMENT 



stairways. This lounge is the Elizabethan Room, and is richly 
furnished in that period. The walls of this room are paneled 
in walnut, to the ceiling. 

Other rooms leading from the Elizabethan Room are the 
College Room, a men's smoking room, where the emblems of 
the representative universities help to form the decorative 
theme. The Chinoiserie (Ladies' Smoking Room) is exquis- 
itely done in Chinese, with French influence, both as to design 
and furnishings. The Venetian Room (Ladies' Cosmetic 
Room) is an unusual feature and is complete in every detail. 
Other public rooms are Peacock Alley, the Club Room, the 
Hunting Room, the Jade Room, the Powder Box, the Marie 
Antoinette Room, the Music Room, the Colonial Room, and 
the Empire Room. These rooms are unusual, not only in re- 
spect of design, but of appointments and furnishings. They 
are so totally different, one from the next, that they excite a 
most unusual amount of comment. Austrian hand-tufted rugs 
designed especially for these rooms are the floor coverings, 
with borders of rare marbles. 

A feature of interest is a special installation of amplifica- 
tion which brings into the Grand Hall, and other rooms ad- 
joining, the music played on the stage, as well as the organ 
and orchestral music, as desired. The purpose, of course, is 
to entertain the waiting crowds. 

A spacious Music Room overlooking the Grand Hall is ap- 
proached from the landing of the main stairway. Not only is 
this room decorative, but serves the useful purpose of afford- 
ing a place where concerts are given by a string orchestra, and 
vocal artists, again for the purpose of entertaining the wait- 
ing throngs in the Grand Lobby. Leading from the Music 
Room is a promenade entirely surrounding the Grand Hall on 
the entresol level, so furnished as to afford waiting and rest- 
ing space for the patrons. 

The design of the auditorium is such that, despite the fact 
that it seats virtually four thousand persons, there is a feel- 
ing of intimacy. (Figure 34.) An attractive feature is the 
introduction of a mezzanine floor, which affords about four 
hundred seats, only slightly overhangs the rear seats of the 



THE PARAMOUNT THEATRE AND BUILDING 339 



orchestra, and extends over the side walls of the auditorium, 
forming an almost perfect horse-shoe in shape. This gives an 
air of spaciousness to the whole orchestra which is not pos- 
sible otherwise. In addition to the usual side exits from the 
balcony, there have been introduced spacious vomitories emp- 
tying from the center of the seating areas, directly into the 
mezzanine, overlooking the corridors of the Grand Hall. 
There is over an acre of floor space devoted exclusively to 
entrance and exit passages. 

The design of the auditorium is treated in the French Renais- 
sance spirit, with the color scheme of ivory, rose red, and tur- 
quoise blue. The ornamentation has been particularly studied 
for scale, so as to be proportionate to the side of the audi- 
torium; and although the auditorium is ten floors in height, 
the architects have achieved an intimate effect. 

The main ceiling is so designed as to afford a "Gallery 
Promenade" above the cornice of the main dome, from which 
patrons can view the entire auditorium. The main panel over 
the sounding board will be emphasized by a sculptured design 
in low relief, representing the Spirit of Music. 

Special attention was given to the decorative treatment of 
the lower part of the theater under the balcony. This portion 
of the auditorium is generally neglected and ordinarily does 
not lend itself to effective treatment. After considerable study, 
a series of arches, enclosing the entresol floor, and around the 
orchestra, were developed. These arches are treated with three 
circuits of indirect lighting (red, amber, blue), enclosed in 
crystal screens which reflect the light. In addition, the front 
of the entresol balcony facia is treated with a continuous de- 
sign across the front, done in crystal, which is illuminated 
by indirect light from a trough, as well as by exposed light- 
ing. Indirect lighting in three colors is installed around the 
stage proscenium facia, the organ grill frames, the soffit of 
the balcony, the main ceiling, and the side walls as well. These 
are supplemented by bronze and crystal fixtures which hang 
from the ceiling along the side walls. There also are huge 
brackets of bronze and crystal which are hung between the side 
arches. 



340 MOTION PICTURE THEATER MANAGEMENT 



The drapes are red and gold, done in a figured satin damask, 
and are hung in the archways and organ arches. A fine velvet 
and silk valance, heavily embroidered in gold, is hung from 
the proscenium arch, with curtains to match, trimmed with a 
very ornate galloon, and hung with a red silken fringe. The 
opera chairs have been especially designed and are upholstered 
with a high grade mohair of appropriate design. The ends 
of the chairs are equipped with aisle lights which are embedded 
in the design of the seat frame. The wall coverings are of 
a special damask, designed specially to blend with the decora- 
tive effect, and are after an old museum piece of tapestry at 
Versailles. 

The orchestra pit is designed to hold an orchestra of seventy, 
and can be raised and lowered on an elevator. This elevator 
travels from a point seven feet below the stage level, up to 
the level of the stage. The stage footlights are of a disappear- 
ing type so that the platform of the orchestra pit becomes 
the apron of the stage. The platform of the pit is mounted 
on a carriage, and the entire carriage with the full orchestra 
can automatically roll on the stage, leaving the apron, on which 
artists may perform in intimate contact with patrons. The 
organ console is also on an elevator at one end of the pit. The 
console is artistically carved in white and gold. All elevator 
controls are operated from the orchestra leader's or the organ- 
ist's stand, and these controls are so arranged as to be dupli- 
cated from the stage switchboard. All of these elevators are 
worm driven and electrically operated. 

The stage is equipped with every modern appliance, and 
also enjoys a double system of electrical elevators in place 
of the usual type of stage traps. The rigging is of the full 
counterweight and track system. The fire curtain is of the 
rigid frame type, having a steel frame, covered on two sides 
with asbestos board, and is motor driven. 

The stage can also be stepped, platforms may be formed, 
scenery may be made to disappear, etc. All stage lighting is 
front and side bridges, which is a new feature in theatrical 
illumination. This is the only stage in the country with me- 
chanically operated footlights. 



THE PARAMOUNT THEATRE AND BUILDING 341 



The back wall of the stage is plastered to form a cyclorama, 
which acts as a sounding board and makes possible unusual 
service effects. The switchboard on the stage is of the re- 
mote control, full master type; every light on the stage and 
in the auditorium is controlled on this board, with dimmers on 
each circuit. 

The organ is one of the largest orchestra unit organs ever 
built. The grills are done in wrought steel, crystal and illum- 
inated glass. The design of the grill lends itself to very un- 
usual lighting, representing clusters of fruit and flowers, which 
may be lighted in four different colors. Underneath the organ 
grill archway are two handsome fountains behind which is a 
background of gold mosaic. 

Particular attention was paid to the efficient housing of the 
production department, as well as the comfort of the artists 
and personnel of the theater. Among the novel features are 
rehearsal rooms, which are replicas of the stage; floor screen 
rooms, which are really miniature theaters ; and executive 
offices for the operating officials. An unusual feature is an 
organ rehearsal room, where pupils are taught organ play- 
ing by expert teachers. Rest rooms, and dressing rooms with 
shower baths, are provided. A music library, three floors in 
height, with rooms for scores, is a complete unit. 

Special concern has been paid, likewise, to the design and 
construction of the ventilation and air conditioning (refrig- 
eration) system. In general, the installation is what is known 
as the down feed system. The air is brought in through open- 
ings in the ceiling and drawn off at the floor, by the use of 
blowers and fans. In certain parts of the building, such as 
corridors and passageways, the air is introduced through grills 
in the side walls. By a complete system of ducts, fresh air 
is delivered to all parts of the auditorium and to each room 
and space. All the air brought into the house is passed through 
a washer. In the summer-time, the temperature of this water 
is reduced by refrigeration so that a temperature reduction 
is secured. The washers used are of the dehumidifying type; 
and automatic controls are installed, which make it possible 
to maintain a uniform temperature and a constant relative 



342 MOTION PICTURE THEATER MANAGEMENT 



humidity under any operating conditions. This plant is di- 
vided so that there are separate controls in different parts 
of the house; for instance, there is a separate system supply- 
ing the Grand Hall, so there can be a positive control of the 
air in this room when it is taxed to capacity. 

The furnishings of the theater are in keeping with the differ- 
ent periods expressed in the various rooms and the highest 
type of quality is maintained. Art objects of value and in- 
terest, together with a large collection of fine paintings, are 
placed at vantage points. 

The design of this theater is one of the last works of the 
late C. W. Rapp, and it is regrettable that he could not have 
lived to see the completed result, which has been acclaimed 
by many as being one of the world's finest theaters. 

When the opening night was announced, there was a de- 
mand for tickets impossible to gratify with a week of ordi- 
nary performances. Admittance, of course, was by invitation 
only; so that the thousands who came unsupplied with the 
lucky pasteboards were forced to postpone their initial ac- 
quaintance. So great were the crowds that multiplied the 
usual foot-traffic of Broadway, that a double cordon of police 
was thrown about the theater, to keep the inquisitive moving 
along, and to prevent an emergency from congestion. Those 
who witnessed no more of the opening than this, saw a pano- 
rama without equal in the history of the Great White Way, and 
one not likely soon to be duplicated. Yet so carefully had 
preparations been planned, that not only was there an utter 
absence of the accidents attendant upon such functions, but 
also the excluded tens of thousands were gratified to the ex- 
tent of a good view of the gorgeous lobby in passing. 

Nation, State, and city, and the army and the navy, sent rep- 
resentatives to the function. The Mayor of New York, Hon. 
James J. Walker, attended in person. No branch of the in- 
dustry was absent, from the renowned stars, to many of the 
routine workers. A carefully apportioned invitation list brought 
delegates from every center of educational, fraternal, financial 
and social life. Once again was it demonstrated that not only 



THE PARAMOUNT THEATRE AND BUILDING 343 



the barn-like crossroads "movie," but the great metropolitan 
temple of the photoplay, is a Mecca of community interest. 
The many guests were naturally more absorbed in the com- 
pelling features of the structure, which they were viewing for 
the first time, than in the excellent performance provided for 
the occasion. This opening night was more than a theatrical 
show. It appealed to a significant cross-section of American 
attention as a moment of climax, a high level in industrial and 
institutional growth. A business that could show such con- 
crete proof of eminence had gone far. We who witnessed the 
event were truly aware of participating in an evening of his- 
tory. 

For what must not have been the memories, the conclusions, 
the emotions of Thomas A. Edison — Nestor of American wiz- 
ardry in subduing wayward elements to mortal purpose — when 
he stood among the beneficiaries of his genius, receiving the 
thunder of their plaudits, under a roof more gorgeous than 
Caesar's? Veteran of a thousand battles, with the riddles of 
existence, bringer of light into darkness, who made the voice 
immortal and taught a film to spin romances for the eyes 
of millions — here was an hour of consummation for him, 
Prometheus of a newer race, in a day still ours. Everywhere 
his eye rested, it perceived how eagerly the latest of the arts 
had joined hands with the most novel in science. 

Think, too, of Jesse L. Lasky, crowning the lifetime of a 
master-showman with this glory of realization. For many 
years he had vibrated the theater's existence with the magne- 
tism of his ceaseless talent. In maturity he had crossed a 
Rubicon of venture into a new realm. Many a time his 
product, long gone from the directing hand, had roused or 
soothed the passions of millions throughout our globe. That 
night he stood amid the representatives of an entire humanity 
and heard the thanks of countless, far-off audiences ring in 
the cheers of this selected group. 

And Will Hays — the statesman, the governor, the arbiter 
of his guild — shared in the glow of an achievement wrought 
not merely by a corporate business, but by an organ of public 
life, an artery of its warmth and its emotions close, close to 



344 MOTION PICTURE THEATER MANAGEMENT 



its very heart. His level head had handed down decisions ; 
his strong hand had dismissed the unworthy and welcomed 
the fine; his splendid impartiality had conferred unquestioned 
public approbation in the very hour when danger threatened. 
He could see the soul and the spirit of his great endeavor 
shine as beautifully as the new House of Living Light that 
embodied it. 

Adolph Zukor. Pathfinder in the wilderness of unprece- 
dented endeavors. Disentangler of cross-purposes in the con- 
flicts of an age untutored. Master Workman. Conspicuous 
for the industry of the servant, the brain of the leader, the 
heart of the lover of humanity. What song sang in his bosom 
on the day when he threw open the doors of his house, our 
house, the house of man that seeks respite and new courage 
in the midst of groping and frustration ! 

None who attended could have been without at least one 
instant of discernment and elation in the presence of achieve- 
ment. Those who merely enjoyed the occasion had their own 
brief insight into the background of hope and plan and effort. 
Those who, like the author, had played a part in the prepara- 
tion, were rewarded by continuous delight in the recognition of 
countless aims realized and gratified. Each detail had a his- 
tory ; each stone could tell a tale. 

Now the imposing whole stands, as for many decades it 
will continue to tower, majestic above the swirl of the Uptown 
Wall Street. The multitudes that march by, will slow their 
pace a moment under the giant marquise, or turn to enter the 
gleaming Hall of Nations. Another reality, a fresh glory, 
added to the life of the metropolis — and the gift of a new in- 
dustry, a new art, a new humaneness. 



CHAPTER XXXV 



Review and Forecast 

THE writer is almost ready to lay down his pen. He 
has searched his memory for some perhaps forgotten 
crumb of experience, his knowledge for some morsel 
of information. He believes that he can find none further 
that will be pertinent, useful. Fact and precept, such as he 
knows them, he has uttered to the full. The subject is new, 
and only one man's lore is here set forth; yet he knows that 
his connection with the reality he speaks is of many years, and 
he believes his view is comprehensive. Certainly, he has not 
refrained or stinted the expression. Therefore, to repeat, the 
task is nearly done. 

There remain, however, two acts of solicitude, two finishing 
touches. A work that requires so many chapters involves 
equally numerous divisions. These have been resolved, in the 
telling, into a kind of unity, within each, and from each to the 
next. Yet the reader, concentrating now on this phase of 
operation, now on that, may wish before he puts the volume 
down, to gather all threads into one knot of comprehension, 
for the better grasp of memory. Hence — a resume. 

Similarly, the pages we together have turned, have often 
been livened with a touch of history, the biography of a new 
force in life. These memoirs are of an existence not stilled 
in the past, but even to-day pulsing with vitality. Now, life 
has its own dimensions in terms of time. The past with its 
depth, the present with its length, form the base from which 
the height of the future expectancy is ever rising. While a 
man lives and grows, biography looks forward. And what 
will it be with us? — ten, fifty years from now? — a century 
hence ? Who can resist squinting into that near-and-far conun- 
drum, that alluring impenetrability? Hence — -prophecy, or at 
least conjecture. 

345 



346 MOTION PICTURE THEATER MANAGEMENT 



Like Janus of old, then, this chapter will turn its face now 
rearward, now forward. First to the rear, since, though the 
delights of to-morrow may make us too impatient to remember 
yesterday, the remembrance of yesterday will steady us as we 
raise our glances to the radiance of what is to come, — all the 
more sweet for the teasings of a brief delay. Let us, therefore, 
first retrace the way. 

review 

In Part I, the author sketched in his design and its back- 
ground. He announced in his first chapter the aim of com- 
posing a practical guide to the procedure of theater manage- 
ment, a text based on experience and planned for ready utility. 
To this prospectus, he added a blueprint of the structure of 
the volume by outlining the sections. Before plunging into 
consideration of these, however, he rapidly surveyed the entire 
industry in Chapter II. He explained the three great branches 
of production or manufacture, distribution or sales, and opera- 
tion or exhibition; and he narrowed his focus to the last, as 
comprising the domain of his interest. 

Then, since he wished the reader to see with the eyes of the 
operator, he devoted Part II to management and organization. 
In their order he thus dealt with the broad outlook to the 
public (Chapter III), with the splitting of control into depart- 
ments and functions (IV), with the supporting personnel 
and the methods of supervision (V), with the related question 
of safety as a prime aim in the industry (VI), and with mat- 
ters of house management (VII), and training of material for 
managerial status (VIII). Thus the conduct of the business 
by the executive served to strike the dominant note. 

Because the operator might build, or must in any case find 
housing, Part III took up the questions of plant and structure. 
Chapter IX narrated the story of the creation of the physical 
house. Chapters X and XI considered the fixtures that must 
go into it : the first, the general structural equipment ; the sec- 
ond, all apparatus relating to fire and water. 

Now we were ready to turn attention to the strictly human 
mechanism, and Part IV attended to the matter with an exposi- 
tion of personnel and routine. The arrangement of chapters 



REVIEW AND FORECAST 



347 



was as follows: XII, the general function of subordinates; 
XIII, the house staff; XIV, the production staff; XV, the 
housekeeping attendants; XVI, the clerks of the counting 
room. As a sort of summary, two further chapters of survey 
were added to take care of the important matters of confer- 
ences (XVII) and employment (XVIII). 

Thus far, we had seen the manager tutored in organization 
and control, possessed of a fully equipped building, and aided 
by a trained corps of workers. He was therefore free to grow 
and expand as a financier. So Part V began with a bird's-eye 
view of monetary considerations (XIX), and went on to deal 
with the routine advantages of the budget (XX), control by 
weekly and monthly statements (XXI), purchase, inventory, 
and stock (XXII), and insurance (XXIII). 

Because of increased capital, the venture was therefore in a 
state to improve its elements or to add new features. The 
miscellany of auxiliary and contributive factors was brought 
together in Part VI. Since each of the subdivisions here was 
known to be the field of the specialist, Chapter XXIV offered 
general counsel on the point of expert advisors. The next 
three chapters (XXV, XXVI, XXVII) turned to the large 
question of attracting patronage, and examined in order the 
topics of advertising, the lobby, and color and lighting. The 
entertainment itself became the theme of the next three chap- 
ters, on music (XXVIII), on special films (XXIX) — the 
short subject and the road show — and on stage presentation 
(XXX). Chapter XXXI, dealing first with the apparatus of 
refrigeration, concluded with an explanatory list of many other 
mechanical devices. The legal problems and procedure of the 
theater (XXXII) provided a view of operation within civil 
government. And, as a natural transition and a logical ter- 
minus, Chapter XXXIII dealt with ethics and good will in re- 
lations with the public. 

So, the text came to its end as a manual. But how reunite 
the fragments and fuse them into a similitude of the living 
reality? A concluding part was needed — Part VII, the pres- 
ent one. Its first chapter (XXXIV) has vivified the separate 
lessons of the book by gathering them into a concrete symbol 



348 MOTION PICTURE THEATER MANAGEMENT 



— the Paramount Theatre. And its current pages, hastening 
to the close, ring down the curtain. We have reviewed the 
progress of our journey as from a high place; and now, from 
this peak, Chapter XXXV turns to gaze into the land of still- 
to-come ! 

THE FUTURE 

The outlook for the motion picture industry is promisingly 
important. A new and bigger future stretches beyond our 
vision. One would be indeed a seer to anticipate exactly what 
time holds forth in the type of pictures that will be produced, 
and how they will be affected by modern invention. Already, 
we have seen the successful application of sound — to visual 
images. This is but one indication of the progress that may 
be expected in the mechanical field of our endeavor. The 
Vitaphone, for example, has given an uncanny reproduction 
of voice and music, and there are several important organiza- 
tions now zealously at work endeavoring further to perfect 
sound synchronization. Such apparatus eventually will success- 
fully replace the questionable music played by orchestras in 
small theaters in communities where capable instrumentalists 
are not now available. It will prove a boon to that type of 
theater to be enabled to give to pictures a splendid music ac- 
companiment by talented orchestras at a cost probably less than 
that of the usual mediocre musicians. The possibilities in this 
respect are tremendous. Music in its very best mood, played 
by orchestras of symphonic proportions, and world famous 
artists and operatic stars rendering great works of genius, may 
be brought to theaters in the most remote hamlet. 

Entirely new entertainment angles arise daily in connection 
with the possibilities of such a device. In all likelihood per- 
sonalities that lend themselves particularly to this invention will 
be developed in much the same way that the radio has created 
a type of talent that fits particularly on the air, and just as 
motion pictures, themselves, have created personalities that are 
adaptable for the whirling film. 

The process of synchronizing sound in motion pictures offers 
a new type of presentation for many theaters that have prev- 
iously depended entirely upon the photoplay alone. When it 



REVIEW AND FORECAST 



349 



is entirely perfected, this mechanism should go a long way 
toward the fuller uplifting of the industry, because of the pos- 
sibilities presented in the establishing of higher music stand- 
ards in the type of theater that previously was limited to the 
music obtainable by performers of indifferent talent. (Fig- 
ure 35.) 

Fine progress, likewise, has been made in motion picture 
photography which, aided by ingenious lighting, is able to 
catch the very mood of almost any scene depicted. And scenes 
have been photographed that have in themselves elicited ap- 
plause. Each year will show continued progress in this re- 
spect. Color photography, too, will probably be made more 
practical, and will serve to enhance a certain type of motion 
picture, although experts are agreed that photoplay photog- 
raphy does not require color to make situations of greater 
value. 

At the present time no process of color photography has been 
developed which photographs the colors of nature directly upon 
the film. Most of the methods depend upon artificial de- 
vices, such as color filters or colored media, which reproduce 
by color mixture. With this method tints cannot yet be re- 
produced with fidelity; however, some very satisfactory re- 
sults have been attained. And further progress will be made 
as ingenuity finds the means. 

Color photography research is leaving the old stereotyped 
lines, and is branching out into more fundamental fields, so 
far still with but partial success. The inquiry must reach a 
higher state of perfection before it can be very useful in fea- 
ture length photoplays. Though it has its place on the screen, 
the color sequence cannot take the place of monochrome or 
black and white, at least at present. The shades now used 
do not blend. They are hard and metallic. They must be 
more properly balanced, and more convincing, before they 
can compare with present black and white standards. Yet 
the employment of colors is useful in travel pictures, fashion 
displays, and in very special purposes of the same sort. At 
some future time it may be developed so that it will supplant 
the black and white completely. 




«n — uj i- < 

R °" P !«•"»< 3^ a< 









111 u. 








> = 








Q. < 












g 

o 



REVIEW AND FORECAST 



351 



Similar improvement can be expected in ordinary films, 
which may be replaced by stereoscopic films. Some progress 
has been realized in this field of plastic projection. Stereo- 
scopic effect has been obtained by projecting two different 
colored images on a grid screen, the bars being of one color, 
and the background of another. The eye sees one picture 
focused on the near bars, with another dimly suggested in the 
distance. 

Other stereoscopic effects have been obtained by using a 
screen cut away in the middle, with green gauze in that space. 
At the back of this is placed a red curtain. A still picture 
is focused on the screen border, and then motion pictures are 
thrown on the gauze. The subject matter appears to stand out 
in living solidity through the opening. It may be seen, how- 
ever, that both these stereoscopic effects are merely "stage" 
tricks; and plastic photography will probably not be accepted 
until the stereoscopic impression can be produced through 
exhibition from the projector or other apparatus. 

The Eastman Research Laboratories at Rochester, estab- 
lished in 19 12, are devoted to the study of motion picture 
photography and its allied contributaries, resulting in continued 
improvement in this very important mechanical department. 
There will probably be greater improvement in projection 
apparatus, therefore, since very little research or improvement 
had been attempted until recent years. 

Picture making is receiving more serious attention than ever 
by producers themselves; and that they will continue to at- 
tract to its ranks better directors and players is a foregone con- 
clusion. Thus the cinema has improved, and will continue to 
do so. During the past two years, for instance, many notable 
picture productions were made, including "The Covered 
Wagon," "The Ten Commandments," "The Big Parade," 
"Beau Geste," "Ben Hur," "Seventh Heaven," "Variety," 
"King of Kings," and others of similar character. 

The production of motion pictures will furthermore be in- 
creasingly international in scope. Both directors and players 
from various foreign countries are now being brought here 
to make films. In this country they will be given scope for 



352 MOTION PICTURE THEATER MANAGEMENT 



their talents. Producers realize that the photodrama has an 
international market, and that the fact must be considered in 
the making of the product. The widening of scope should 
have a very beneficial result on the industry, bringing about 
the interchange of the finest directors and artists. 

There are other significant indications of true progress in 
the making of motion pictures. One is the realization that 
the success or the failure of the creation is in the hands of the 
director, who is recognized as being responsible for the result. 
Producers now feel that the most important step in the mak- 
ing of a good picture is getting a director of talent and imag- 
ination, that good pictures can result only from sympathetic 
handling. Stars in themselves cannot continue to be success- 
ful without proper vehicles and expert guidance. Another 
salutary tendency is the steady displacement of grandiose 
effects by more subtle appeals to the intellect. Good story in- 
terest, with logical and intelligent sequence done simply, have 
proved the biggest moments in most of the successful showing. 
A few years ago the most popular films were the immense 
productions, such as "Intolerance," or "Cabiria," where big 
sets and a great number of players predominated. We still 
have productions of the type, but there is more appreciation 
for films in which the director and the actor must impress 
the audience through the finer exhibition of brains and ability. 

At no time in its thirty years of progress has the motion 
picture faced a more promising future than at this time. The 
future of production is in safe hands under the guidance of 
such men as Joseph M. Schenck, Louis B. Mayer, Jesse L. 
Lasky, Cecil B. DeMille, W. R. Sheehan, and many others who 
have proven by accomplishment their leadership. 

Interest continues in television. Experimenting in this new 
field, inventors have been able to broadcast objects over a 
meter wave length, which registers in the same way as sound 
on a radio receiving set, except that this apparatus is equipped 
also with a screen on which the object is thrown. In a recent 
address before the Institute of Radio Engineers, Dr. E. F. W. 
Alexanderson, Consulting Engineer of the General Electric 
Company, exhibited his television projector, which picked up 



REVIEW AND FORECAST 



353 



photographs from station WGY on the standard receiving 
set in his laboratory, and recorded them in two minutes. 
The photographic record was made by a standard oscillograph, 
with some optical adaption, which gave an exposure on a sen- 
sitive film of paper. These photographs were sent on a wave 
length of 379.5 meters. 

Television was also introduced to the public on April 7th, 
1927, when President GirTord of the American Telephone & 
Telegraph Company talked to and saw Herbert Hoover, lo- 
cated three miles away. Figure 36 shows a diagram explain- 
ing the operation of the apparatus used. 

Is it to be expected that with motion pictures made avail- 
able for home use, the world will stay at home and take its 
entertainment through various patented devices? I think not. 
Excellent as is the transmission of the symphony concert over 
a good radio, it will never completely satisfy the wishes of 
those who have the opportunity to attend the concerts in 
person. The impulse that sent people to the county fair, in 
other days, will never die. 

In this and in similar enterprises the great problem is how 
to meet the cost of broadcasting. Such inventions are most 
ingenious, and will serve their purpose as disseminators of 
knowledge, and make life more enjoyable in homes located in 
remote communities; but no mechanical device can take the 
place of the thrill of going out, of seeing people and being 
seen by them, of getting into an environment different from 
the surroundings of home, of experiencing the satisfaction of 
dressing up, and mixing with other pleasure hunters. The 
appeal of bustle and lights in a crowd makes the adventure of 
an evening out. Some feel that audiences of the future, seated 
in theaters, will view new films transmitted by electrical waves, 
of events throughout the country, even as these last are occur- 
ring. 

Moving pictures will push education forward more rapidly 
than any other agency. They will bring to millions all over 
the world actual knowledge of science, literature and history. 
They will do, through image education, what the printing press 
did through symbols. Pictures that are well made and care- 



REVIEW AND FORECAST 



355 



fully produced, represent the greatest educational instrument 
in existence, and are destined in future generations to become 
the greatest of all teachers. The text books of to-morrow 
will be supplemented by the cinema. Motion pictures will 
ultimately take their place as an important implement of teach- 
ing, not as a substitute for the teacher or the text book, but 
as a necessary and supplemental aid. Their proper use will 
be determined through study and experimentation; with the 
perfection of synchronized talking motion pictures, lecturers 
and educators of prominence in the cities will be available for 
the schools of the country. The time will come when every 
class will show lessons upon a daylight screen, spreading 
knowledge and inspiration throughout the world. 

The greatest improvement in the industry will probably come 
through the motion picture theaters themselves. Finer and 
larger structures, with every possible scientific aid, and with 
a more advanced type of operation, will make possible greater 
audiences and wider dissemination. For instance, recent in- 
stallation of refrigeration in some motion picture theaters has 
virtually banished the summer dull business. The introduc- 
tion of the equipment in the Rivoli Theatre, New York, proved 
so great a success, that practically every house in the same 
vicinity followed the lead the ensuing year. The tremendous 
possibilities of refrigeration are just beginning to be appre- 
ciated. In fact, it is only during the past few years that any 
dependable scientific apparatus has been available. Within the 
next five years, refrigeration will be installed in every worth- 
while motion picture theater. This will add millions of patrons 
to the swelling audience. 

Undoubtedly, one of the foremost developments of the fu- 
ture will be the erection of fine modern theaters of large 
capacity which will replace the ones of yesterday. Every 
large community will boast of its super-theater of fine archi- 
tectural design, of finer quality, and of generous scale and 
grandeur. The motion picture theater of to-morrow will be 
the noblest and most attractive building in each community, if 
it isn't considered so to-day. Such large theaters will attract 
even greater audiences than before, contributing a wider use- 



358 MOTION PICTURE THEATER MANAGEMENT 



fulness thereby. For the institution is definitely established 
as a practical, dependable, and indispensable utility. Motion 
pictures as a good of proven value, both culturally and eco- 
nomically, have been generally accepted throughout the world. 

Recently Columbia University recognized the necessity for 
producing trained men and women for the motion picture in- 
dustry by establishing a university course which will give suit- 
able courses in the technique involved in the various branches 
of the business. Although no definite method has yet been 
evolved, a committee of the faculty of the university has been 
named to establish a complete curriculum for the many-sided 
subject. Crystallizing the screen's ultimate service to society, 
Dr. Nicholas Murray Butler described the motion picture as 
being much more than an industry. "Instead," he said, "it 
is a profession and an art which demand the contributions 
of other arts and sciences in the fullest and most exacting 
measure if it is to fulfill its highest mission as the medium 
through which the sum of human knowledge might be trans- 
lated into terms that all mankind can understand and enjoy." 

As a vehicle for spreading information, the motion pic- 
ture has but begun its journey. In time to come, this agency 
will be used with great benefit. Here we have a language 
which all peoples understand; it is truly the universal speech. 

There is a likelihood that short-subject theaters may be 
established in some of the large cities, sponsored by the pro- 
ducers and distributors of short subjects. The motion pic- 
ture enjoyed its first prosperity through "store shows," and 
the modern "short subject" theater may again prove a profit- 
able outlet for brief exhibits, and at the same time be an ex- 
cellent means for exploitation of short subjects — the ideal 
length for educational projects. 

An interesting program can be provided in a two-reel com- 
edy, a news weekly, a novelty reel, and a scenic, perhaps sup- 
plemented by an organ solo. A moderate price of admission 
should find good support in central locations, where people may 
drop in for a short time. Such theaters of small capacity, 
which are adequately equipped and conducted in a high grade 
manner, should meet with favor. 



REVIEW AND FORECAST 



357 



Next to the motion picture itself, music will continue to be 
the most outstanding unit on the varied program, and higher 
standards may be expected in the development of the auditory 
art in operation. 

The motion picture has appealed to science as an instru- 
ment of great power. Motion study, the behavior of the slow 
process of growth of microbiology, the study of high speed 
mechanisms, and laboratory research, generally are making ex- 
cellent use of the film. Science will increasingly use the cinema 
for record, study, discovery, and instruction. The National 
Bureau of Standards at Washington has made motion pic- 
tures an important adjunct in recording valuable information. 
Dr. George K. Burgess, Director of the Bureau, recently read 
a paper before the Society of Motion Picture Engineers, re- 
porting that : "New instruments developed primarily for 
Bureau research may be of interest to you — a precision sen- 
sitometer for plates and films ; equipments for precise colorim- 
etry, photometry and radiometry; new cameras for special 
uses, one to photograph flying bullets in a millionth of a sec- 
ond, another to photograph projectiles from big guns, another 
for photographing the complete interior of corroded pipe; a 
research camera for developing photography through haze; 
and a target practice camera which locates in three dimensions 
each shot in naval gun practice. The Bureau's method of 
photographing the entire interior surface of a rifle barrel is 
also to be tried out for photographing the interior of the bron- 
chial tubes in clinical cases." 

The Society of Motion Picture Engineers maintains world- 
wide scrutiny of the technical work as it relates to the field. 
This association has caused such developments to be turned 
into practical use within the industry. It is a clearing house of 
scientific research, in which engineers are always endeavoring 
to discover better ways of doing things, with the result of 
improvements in exhibiting, as well as in the production of 
the product itself. Twice yearly the Progress Committee of 
the Society reports developments of importance. With the en- 
tire world to draw upon for data, this report is always fraught 
with interest. 



358 MOTION PICTURE THEATER MANAGEMENT 



For historical references, motion pictures in the future will 
be of even greater value than were still photographs of the 
past. That this is recognized, is clearly shown through the 
request recently made by Mr. Will H. Hays to President 
Coolidge, that twenty vaults of the proposed Archives Build- 
ing be set aside for the storage of films that may be of his- 
torical value. 

It would take a bold man to predict with confidence what 
development will take place in the coming generation. If the 
next thirty years of the art shows the same progress as the 
first thirty years, its strides will be enormous. The real de- 
velopments, like the industry itself, are in their infancy; and 
the future is all the more fascinating because of the tremen- 
dous possibilities. 

But why should I gaze into the crystal alone? Surely the 
reader need not urge unduly the gift of prophecy we all share 
in visioning the perspective ahead. If he is turning these 
pages in curiosity only, and not for any professional reason, 
he nevertheless has been a patron and an observer. He can 
sit back in his chair, close his eyes, and conjure up fantasies 
remarkable in the foreview, but no less possible than the mira- 
cles that are already everybody's facts. If he is the special 
student, fitting himself for some high role in the march of our 
progress, he can pace his room and dream the dreams which, 
next year perhaps, he will be shaping into reality in some locale 
of his generalship. If he be already an exhibitor, he has prob- 
ably no need of my suggestion that here is a moment for 
planning and budgeting the development which has been stir- 
ring in the back of his mind for the past six months. Patron, 
initiate, veteran — he has his potentiality to aid, his opportunity 
to share, in the inevitable advance. 

Over the roadways of the world, the towers of the new 
thing look down amicably on life, or ahead, dreamily, at the 
future. Their eyes are young, and see clearly. They know 
that man's progress lies not in the Babel, not in the race, but 
in the lifting. With all due respect to those who may believe 
me vainglorious, I point to the fact, the picture, of the Para- 
mount Building, raising its globe high above the heads of com- 



REVIEW AND FORECAST 



359 



mercial, theatrical, journalistic neighbors. Youth will be 
served. 

Only the senile have ceased to look ahead. What we mean 
when we say "future," is "youth I" And there is in the motion 
picture — art, science, or industry — an element that cannot age : 
the eternal spirit of play. The heart and the head will hunger 
forever after the games and delights of life; and in this sport 
that turns existence into enchantment, the eye is master of the 
revels. The present is sliding from us as we dream and act. 
The past, for its achievement, is so brief ! Is not our indus- 
try, almost entirely, a figure beyond? As with the growing 
boy, the blossoming girl, our history has hardly yet been lived, 
but stretches still uncertainly and gloriously before us. 



Accounting, 49, 164-166, 200, 214, 220, 
222 

Advertising, 92, 242-257 
bill posting, 249-250 
budget, 248, 255-256 
campaigns, 26, 177 
classifications, 243 
color in, 274-275 
Covered Wagon, 254 
department, 46, 48, 177 
direct mail, 252 
exploitation, 250-252 
good-will campaign, 255 
lighting effects, 251, 275 
lobby, 262 
newspaper, 247-249 
publicity, 243-249 
screen, 252 

stage presentations, 299 

table of average expenditure, 256 

trailers, 145, 255 

musical instruments in, 287 
Advice, expert, 237-241 

varieties available, 239-241 
Albee, E. F„ 186 
Albee Theatre, E. F., 265 
Alexanderson, Dr. E. F. W., 340 
American Federation of Musicians, 
178 

American Iron and Steel Institute, 
202 

American Telephone and Telegraph 

Company, 341 
Ash, Paul, 301 

Audit Bureau of Circulation, 249 
Auditing, 48, 164-166 
Automatic draughts, 313 

Balaban & Katz Theatres, 242, 265, 

299 

specimen institutional advertising, 
246 

Bankers' Magazine, The, 190 
Beau Geste, 294, 339 
Beethoven, Ludwig van, 278 
Belasco, David, 268 
Belasco Theatre, 268 
Ben Hur, 292, 294, 295, 339 
Bernhardt, Sarah, 249 



Biche au Bois, La, 249 
Big Parade, The, 16, 24, 292, 294, 339 
Birkenhead organ, 285 
Birth of a Nation, The, 16, 24, 269, 

292, 294, 295 
Boone, Daniel, 77 
Building, equipment, 96-103 

theater, 87, 113-115 
Bureau of Business Research, Har- 
vard University, 202 
Burgess, George K., 345 
Butler, Nicholas Murray, 344 

Caesar, Julius, 175 

California Theatre, graphic chart, 
211 

Chaplin, Charlie, 289 
Cheret, Jules, 249 
Color, and lighting, 268-277 

photography, 337 
Columbia University, 344 
Conferences, staff, 170-176 
Counter- weight rigging system, 315 
Covered Wagon, The, 16, 24, 244, 
251, 254, 275, 281, 292, 294, 295, 
339 

Culver City, Calif., 188 

Davis, Harry, 296 
Definition of terms, 301-303 
DeMille, Cecil B., 340 
Department of Commerce, 241 
Distribution, 25-29, 188-189 
Dubois, Cardinal, 16 

Edison, Thomas A., 15, 331 
Electricity, 157-163 
daylight hours chart, 162 
meter charts, 158, 159 
Engineering, 49 
Exhibition, 188, 190 
Eastman, George, 279 
Eastman Conservatory, 282 
Eastman Research Laboratories, 339 
Eastman School of Music, 279 
Eastman Theatre, 282 

Fagade architecture, 258-267 
Fanchon and Marco Revues, 300 

361 



362 MOTION PICTURE 1 

Feature pictures, 27, 28, 296 
Finance, 185-191, 306 

accounting control, 164-166, 200- 

213 

balance sheet, 202-204 
budgeting, 192-199 
department, 164-168, 193 
distribution, 189 
exhibition, 190 
maintenance expense, 89 
methods, 89-90, 191 
mortgage bond method, 191 
production costs, 188-189 
statistical data, 166 
wage scale, 209-210 
weekly statement of profit and loss, 
207 

Fire Brigade, The, 251 

Fire, protection, 61-62, 104-110 

duties of personnel, 108-110, 126 

equipment, 97, 104-105 

and safety report, 62 

inspection report, 105-108 

regulations, 64-65 
Fox, William, 17, 186 
Fox Case movietone, 338 
Foyer architecture, 268-269 

General Electric Company, 160 
Gifford, president of American Tele- 
phone and Telegraph Company, 
341 

Grand Opera House, 296 
Grauman's Chinese Theatre, 258 
Great Train Robbery, The, 296 
Griffith, D. W., 16 

Hall & Company, R. E., 319 

Hays, Will H., 22, 25, 328, 332, 346 

Hollywood, Calif., 188 

Hoover, Herbert, 341 

Hope-Jones, Robert, 285 

House Manager, 177 

duties, 68-69 

qualifications, 177 

Inspection chart, 56 
Institute of Radio Engineers, 340 
Insurance, 223-233, 239 
fire, 223-224 

incidental policies, 225-226, 22J-22Q 
occupancy, 224 
personnel, 230 
public liability, 229 
purpose, 231 
theft, 226 
International Association of Stage 
Hands and Operators, 178 



IEATER MANAGEMENT 

Intolerance, 294 
Inventories, 216-222 
chart, 217 

stock taking, 218-222 

Jannings, Emil, 289 
Jouryial of Commerce, 247 

Katz, Sam, 299 

Kent, Sydney R., 26 

King of Kings, The, 292, 295, 339 

Kiwanis Club, 68, 328 

Kuhn, Loeb & Company, 322 

Laemmie, Carl, 186 
Lasky, Jesse L., 244, 331, 340 
Last Laugh, The, 289 
Law in relation to motion picture in- 
dustry, 315-324 
Lighting, advertising, 274-275 

color and, 268-277 

colors and dyes, 274-275 

control, 272 

lobby, 260, 265-266 

Paramount Theatre, 327-328 

signs, 258-262 

stage, 99, 273-274 
Lions Club, 328 
Lloyd, Harold, 289 
Lobby architecture, 258-267, 268-269 
Loew, Marcus, 31, 186 
Los Angeles, Calif., 188 
Lost and found department, 130-132 

chart of forms, 131 
Lost World, The, 24 

McCarthy, J. J., 293 

Management, and the public, 37-44, 

345 

accident procedure, 126-127 
departmental, 46, 49, 120, 170-176 
expert advice, 237, 238-241 
finance routine, 165 
fire-protection policy, 108 
house routine, 67, 153-163 
insurance policy, 232 
organization chart, 47 
public influence on industry, 325- 
330 

publicity methods, 242 
relation to employees, 320 
responsibility, 45, 328 
Manager, 151 
background experience, 77 
duties, 37-41, 83, 142, 175, 200, 

215, 231-232, 242 
importance, 43 

qualifications, 177, 201, 329-330 
responsibility, 238-239 



INDEX 



363 



Mark, Mitchell H., 297 
Massenet, Jules, 278 
Mayer, Louis B., 340 
Mechanical aids, 312-316 
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 16 
Morgan, Gene, 301 
Motion Picture Engineers, Society 
of, 345 

Motion Picture Industry, code of 
ethics, 22, 328 
fluctuation of business, 207-209 
history, 21-22, 78 
nationalities represented, 25 
national status, 187 
obligation to the public, 326-328 
progress, 190 

(see also Distribution and Produc- 
tion) 

Motion Picture Producers and Dis- 
tributors of America, 22 
Murdock, J. J., 186 
Music, 147-150, 278-287 

cue sheet, 148 

department, 49 

influence on public taste, 280 

libraries, 147, 282 

orchestra, 279-281 

organ, 91, 284-286 

photoplay requirements, 281 

preparation of scores, 283-284 

synchronization of sight and sound, 
286 

National Bureau of Standards, 241, 
345 

National Drygoods Association, 202 
New York City, 188, 319, 321 

Old Ironsides, 295 
Orchestra pit elevator, 315 
Paramount Theatre, 328 
Outlook for the future, 336-347 

Paramount Famous Lasky Company, 

319, 322, 324 
Paramount Theatre, 15, 16, 32, 181, 

258, 264, 270, 287, 310, 315, 319, 

336 

Patent Leather Kid, The, 17 
Peabody, Eddie, 301 
Personnel, 48, 49-50, 92-93, 1 19-123, 
124-138 

advertising manager, 177 

auditor, 165-167, 200, 240 

bonding, 227-228 

carriage men, 215 

cashiers, 179, 215 

cleaners, 155, 179 



Personnel (Cont.) : 
conferences, 170-176 
doorman, 67, 71-74, 136, 180, 215 
electrician, 269, 272 
elevator operators, 135 
employment, 176-182 
engineer, 105, 157, 178, 241 
finance, 164-167 
fire-drill duties, 108-110 
floor manager, 124-128 
footman, 136-137, 180 
group life insurance, 230-231 
health, 65 

housekeeper, 154-157, 179 
house officer, 127 
information girls, 180 
inspection, 52-57 
lawyer, 318, 323 
maids, 215 
manicurist, 180 
matrons, 138 

musical director, 147, 151, 178 
music scorer, 281, 283-284 
nurses, 138 

orchestra conductor, 280 
page boys, 135, 180, 215 
painter, 156 
porters, 154 

production manager, 150-151, 177 
projectionists, 139-147, 178 
provisions for comfort, 102 
publicity men, 242, 243-244, 248 
schedule card, 129 
service staff report, 125 
stage manager, 151-152, 178 
streetmen, 136 
superintendent, 153-154 
telephone operator, 67, 74-76 
ticket-office girl, 67, 69-71, 137, 260, 
313 

ushers, 128-129, I 79, 2I 5 

Pickford, Mary, 289 

Pictures : 
Beau Geste, 294, 339, 
Ben Hur, 292, 294, 295, 339 
Big Parade, 16, 24, 292, 294, 339 
Birth of a Nation, 16, 24, 281, 292, 
294, 295 

Covered Wagon, 16, 24, 244, 251, 

254, 275, 281, 292, 294, 295, 339 
Great Train Robbery, 296 
high standard, 16 
international, 25 
King of Kings, 292, 295, 339 
Last Laugh, 289 
literary sources, 24 
Lost World, 24 
Old Ironsides, 295 



364 MOTION PICTURE 1 

Pictures (Cont.) : 

Patent Leather Kid, 17 

scenarios, 24 

Seventh Heaven, 17, 339 

Ten Commandments, The, 24, 264, 
292, 294, 295, 339 

Way Down East, 292, 294, 295 

What Price Glory, 294 
Porter, Edwin S., 296 
Production department, 23-25, 139- 

152, 188 
Productions (see Pictures) 
Projection department, 46, 49, 57, 

139-147 
room layout, 141 
weekly report, 143-144, 208 
Psychology, color and music, 273 
in business, 169, 174-175, 181 
public reaction to entertainment, 
326 

Publix Theatre Managers Training 

School, 78-82 
Publix Theatres, Inc., 18, 299 
Purchasing department, 213-216 
managerial supervision, 214-215, 
216 

order charts, 219, 221 
policies and methods, 215 
requisition of stock, 221-222 
Putnam site, 319 

Rapp, C W., 319, 322 
Rapp, George L., 319, 322 
Refrigeration systems, 305-312, 
343 

benefit to public, 311 

effect on industry, 306 

Paramount Theatre, 329 
Registering devices, 314 
Riesenfeld, Hugo, 298 
Repairs, 156, 196, 197, 210, 215 
Republic Theatre, 268 
Review, 334-336 
Rivoli Theatre, 343 
Road Shows, 288, 292-295 
Rochester University, 282 
Roosevelt, Theodore, 46 
Rotary Club, 68, 328 
Rothafel, Samuel A., 297 
Roxy Theater, 16, 264 

St. John's Church, 285 
Schenck, Joseph M., 340 
Schenck, Nicholas M., 31 
Service staff (see Personnel) 
Seventh Heaven, 17, 339 
Shakespeare, William, 175 
Sheehan, W. R., 340 



IEATER MANAGEMENT 

Short subject, films, 27, 28, 288-292, 
344 

comedies, 290-291 

news reel, 290 

types, 289 
Signal seat indicator, 314 
Stage Hands' Union, 178 
Stage presentations, 296-301 

history, 296 
Statler, Edward M., 123 
Statler hotels, 123 
Stereoscopic effects, 339 
Strand Theatre, 297 
Swanson, Gloria, 289 
Synchronizing devices, 314 

Television, 341 

chart, 342 
Ten Commandynents, The, 24, 264, 

292, 294, 295, 339 
Theaters, 28-34 

architecture, 258-268, 343 

attendance, 15 

boiler room report, 102 

booth shutter chart, 146 

box office statement, 72 

business stability, 15 

capacity, 15 

chain system, 28, 215, 294 
color effects, 269-277 
construction, 87-93, 113-115 
depreciation of equipment, 205 
equipment, 90-92, 93"95> 140, 142, 
216 

first-aid equipment, 63, 180 

inspection of building, 57-59 

lighting (see separate item) 

music (see separate item) 

number, 15 

permits, 61 

time schedule, 75 

types, 28-32, 248 

vaudeville-picture, 31 
Thermostats, 313 [160 
Thompson recording Watt-meters, 
Trailers, 142, 145 
Training, managerial, 77 

meter reading, 110-112, 157-159 

staff, 41-43, 59, 83, 122-123, 129- 
130, 132-134, 138 

Uptown Theatre, 258 

Usher signal system, 265, 266 

Variety, 339 

Ventilation, 304-312, 343 

Paramount Theatre, 329 

(see also Refrigeration) 
Verdi, Giuseppi, 278 



INDEX 



365 



Wagner, Richard, 278 
Water-supply, 110-115 

meter dial charts, 110, in 

meters., no- 112 
Way Down East, 292, 294, 295 
West Coast Theatres, 242, 299 

specimen institutional advertising, 
243 

Westinghouse Electric and Manufac- 
turing Company, 160 

What Price Glory, 294 

Wolf, Rube, 301 

Women, as employees, 137-13S 
box-office girls, 67, 69-71, 137, 260, 
313 

cashiers, 179, 215 
catering to, 70 



Women (Cont.) : 
cleaners, 155, 179 
directorettes, 180 
employment laws, 321 
housekeepers, 154-157, 179 
information girls, 180 
maids, 215 
manicurists, 180 
matrons, 138 
nurses, 138 

telephone operators, 67, 74-76 
Workmen's compensation laws, 63, 

228-229, 320 
World, New York, 17 

Ziegfeld Theatre, 258 

Zukor, Adolph, 186, 319, 322, 332 



H 103 79 M 




1 

■ 

I 



